Osun: APC withdraws petition challenging Adeleke’s re-election

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has withdrawn its petition challenging the re-election of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke.

The withdrawal came less than 24 hours after details of the petition were displayed at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo, the state capital.

The development is the latest twist to follow the 15 August governorship election, after the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, had earlier conceded defeat and congratulated Governor Adeleke.

Oyebamiji’s concession came before the petition was filed days later in his name and that of the APC.

APC legal team had disowned petition

Following the filing, the APC’s legal team publicly disowned the petition, insisting that neither the party nor Oyebamiji authorised any legal challenge to Adeleke’s victory.

The petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, was one of two petitions displayed by the tribunal on Monday. It listed Oyebamiji and the APC as petitioners, while Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were named as respondents.

The APC legal team, led by Senior Advocates of Nigeria including Abiodun Layonu, Yomi Aliyu, Adekunle Adegoke and Muritala Abdulrasheed, had earlier stated that the party decided not to challenge the election result after consultations with Oyebamiji and other party leaders.

Adegoke, speaking on behalf of the legal team, said the decision was partly motivated by the need to de-escalate tensions in the state and allow peace to prevail.

Lawyer says fresh instructions prompted withdrawal

Oluseyi Oyagbile, the lawyer who signed and submitted the petition at the tribunal alongside APC deputy governorship candidate, Kayode Adereti, had earlier maintained that the filing was validly authorised.

Oyagbile said Adereti signed the petition in the presence of party leaders and executives and that the case was properly filed.

However, on Tuesday, The Nation reported that Oyagbile confirmed that he had withdrawn the petition after receiving fresh instructions from his client and APC leaders.

“My client and leaders of APC reached out to me this morning to withdraw the petition I filed on their behalf, I have withdrawn the petition,” Oyagbile said.

He explained that he requested written confirmation of the instruction before withdrawing the case to avoid another dispute over who authorised the action.

“Before I do so, I made them send WhatsApp messages to me giving the instruction so that it will not be a matter of controversy again,” he said.

Adeleke won August 15 election

INEC declared Adeleke the winner of the August 15 governorship election with 511,067 votes.

Oyebamiji, his closest challenger, polled 444,815 votes.

The APC petition was filed within the 21-day period prescribed for challenging election results, but its subsequent withdrawal has now ended the party’s legal challenge to Adeleke’s re-election.

With the APC petition withdrawn, the legal challenge to Adeleke’s victory is left to a separate petition filed in the name of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP petition has also generated controversy, with the PDP candidate, Adebayo Adedamola, reportedly disputing the authorisation of the petition filed in his name.