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In a dramatic twist following the August 15 Osun State governorship election, the official legal team of the All Progressives Congress has formally rejected a petition filed at the tribunal challenging the victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria Adekunle Adegoke, speaking on behalf of the party’s legal counsel, confirmed on Monday that neither the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, nor the party executive authorized any legal challenge before the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
Adegoke disclosed that the legal team actively advised Oyebamiji against filing a petition after evaluating the poll outcome to maintain peace and minimize political friction across the state.
Explaining the team’s early intervention, Adegoke stated, “Right from the second day after the election, the legal team, led by about four Senior Advocates of Nigeria, advised our client that, in the circumstances, the best course of action was not to go to the tribunal.”
He noted that the legal team possessed extensive experience evaluating election outcomes, having managed political litigation for over seven years.
Highlighting their assessment process, he remarked, “The legal team has been in existence for more than seven years. Whenever we go into an election, and the results are being announced, we know where there are loopholes and what we can challenge.”
However, Adegoke clarified that choosing not to litigate did not mean the governorship poll was entirely faultless.
Regarding election irregularities, he noted, “It is not that the election was entirely free or that there were no malpractices. There may have been valid grounds to challenge the result, but we decided to allow the populace to rest.”
He emphasized that Oyebamiji had already extended congratulations to Governor Adeleke, making any subsequent petition inconsistent with the candidate’s personal stance.
Questioning the legitimacy of the filing, Adegoke asked, “Our client willingly, without pressure or duress, congratulated Governor Adeleke. Do you now think it would be legitimate, or honourable, for Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji to turn around and authorise the filing of a petition?”
Denouncing the filings displayed at the tribunal in Osogbo, the senior lawyer maintained that third parties acted without party instructions.
Firmly disavowing the submission, he stated, “I want it to be on record that the APC legal team has denounced the bundle of papers filed by some individuals masquerading as APC lawyers. It was not authorised by the APC as a party or by its candidate.”
APC chieftain Adebayo Adedamola similarly distanced himself from the suit, stating, “I am not involved in any petition before the Election Petition Tribunal. I already endorsed Governor Ademola Adeleke as our candidate. So, there is no cause for us to now go and file any petition against the governor.”
The controversy emerged after two separate petition notices—EPT/Os/Gov/01/2026 listing Oyebamiji and the APC, and EPT/Os/Gov/02/2026 listing the PDP—were unexpectedly posted at the tribunal premises in Osogbo following the expiration of the 21-day filing window.
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