The legal team representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has rejected a petition filed before the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal challenging Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the August 15 governorship election.
A senior member of the legal team, Adekunle Adegoke, said the petition was not authorised by the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, or the party.
Adegoke disclosed on Monday that the legal team had advised Oyebamiji against challenging the election outcome after reviewing the circumstances surrounding the poll.
He said the lawyers met with Oyebamiji and other party leaders shortly after the election to assess possible legal options but concluded that approaching the tribunal was not the best course of action.
‘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,’ Adegoke said.
He explained that the decision was taken despite the team’s knowledge of possible grounds that could have been used to challenge the result.
‘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 said.
Adegoke also questioned the legitimacy of any petition filed in Oyebamiji’s name, saying the APC candidate had already congratulated Adeleke after the election.
‘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?’ he asked.
The lawyer described the tribunal document as unauthorised and accused individuals behind it of presenting themselves as APC lawyers without approval from the party or its candidate.
‘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,’ he said.
Another APC chieftain, Adebayo Adedamola, also denied involvement in any petition against Adeleke’s victory, saying he had already endorsed the governor.
The controversy followed the display of two petitions at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo on Monday.
One petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, listed Oyebamiji and the APC as petitioners against Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The second petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, was filed by Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola against Adeleke, INEC and the Accord Party.