Confusion, Denials Trail APC, PDP Petitions Against Adeleke’s Re-election
Confusion arose over reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had petitioned the tribunal to challenge the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke in Osun State’s August 15 off-cycle...
Confusion arose over reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had petitioned the tribunal to challenge the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke in Osun State’s August 15 off-cycle governorship poll.
Although the Osun Governorship Tribunal said two petitions had been filed challenging the governor’s victory, the APC legal team in Osun State formally denied involvement in and disowned the petition against Governor Ademola Adeleke.
On Monday, petitions purportedly filed separately by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were posted on the tribunal secretariat’s notice board in Osogbo, challenging the August 15 governorship election result. Tribunal secretary Pefe Belemore confirmed the filings, formally initiating the legal proceedings.
The development followed reports that no petition had been filed within the 21-day deadline for challenging the election result. The tribunal later confirmed receiving two petitions.
The petition filed by APC numbered EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, was filed by the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Oyebamiji, against the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents.
A separate petition, numbered EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, was also filed by the PDP candidate, Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, who named the respondents as Adeleke, INEC, and the Accord Party.
APC Denies Filing the Petition
The Osun State APC Governorship Campaign Council has dismissed as false and mischievous reports claiming that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), have filed a petition challenging the outcome of the August 15, 2026 governorship election at the Election Petition Tribunal.
“We state categorically that neither the All Progressives Congress ( APC) nor its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) filed any petition at the tribunal challenging the outcome of the August 15 governorship election.
“The purported claim is therefore completely untrue and should be regarded as nothing more than a rumour being circulated by individuals seeking to mislead members of the public and create unnecessary tension.
“We urge members of the public, supporters of our great party and the media to discountenance the claim and refrain from giving credibility to unverified information designed to cause confusion.
“The APC and Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji remain committed to lawful and democratic processes and will continue to act responsibly in the interest of peace, stability and the good people of Osun State.
“We urge the public to rely only on official statements from the APC and the Campaign Council on matters concerning the party, its candidate and the outcome of the August 15 governorship election.
The statement was signed by Engr Oluremi Omowaiye, the Head of Media and Publicity, Osun APC Governorship Campaign Council.
PDP Candidate Adebayo Denies Knowledge of Petition
In another development, appearing on a TVC television interview, Mr Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, denied knowledge of his purported petition against Governor Ademola Adeleke. In his words, “I don’t know where they manufactured the petition they submitted because I am not part of any petition against Governor Adeleke, who was the popular candidate in the election.
“I have not been briefed by anybody, either by my Lawyer or any party leader, that there is a petition against Governor Adeleke.
In the first place, there was a press conference on August 13, where we said we would support Governor Adeleke, and I even voted for him in the election.”
Adeleke’s Victory at the Polls
Adeleke, who contested the election on the Accord Party platform, secured 511,067 votes to be declared the winner by INEC, defeating Oyebamiji of the APC, who polled 444,815 votes.
In an August 29 statement, APC candidate Oyebamiji congratulated Governor Adeleke and accepted the election result but raised concerns about violence during the poll.
“While we accept the outcome of the election and congratulate the winner, we cannot forget the painful incidents of violence and the lives that were lost,” he said.
He also said his camp would continue to seek “justice and fairness through lawful and constitutional means” where there were legitimate concerns.
However, reports confirming the petitions have not disclosed the grounds on which the APC and PDP are challenging the election, and the tribunal has yet to rule on either case.
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