Osun APC Withdraws Petition Against Adeleke After Legal Team Disowns It

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has withdrawn its petition seeking to challenge the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The decision came a day after members of the APC’s legal team publicly said they had not approved the petition.

Oluseyi Oyagbile, the lawyer who filed the case, confirmed the withdrawal to The Nation on Tuesday.

The lawyer said he acted after receiving new instructions from the APC and its 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 I have withdrawn the petition,” he said.

“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.”

Kola Olabisi, the Osun APC spokesperson, also confirmed the development in a separate statement to TheCable.

“Well, I am not a member of the legal team; I am a spokesman of the party. But it is true that the petition has been withdrawn. That’s the story,” Olabisi said.

The petition marked l EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, was posted on the notice board of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo on Monday.

It named Bola Oyebamiji, the APC candidate in the August 15 governorship election, and the APC as petitioners.

Adeleke, Accord and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were listed as respondents.

The case had triggered disagreement within the APC over whether the petition was properly authorised by the party and its candidate.

Adekunle Adegoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and member of the APC legal team, said on Monday that the lawyers had not approved any case challenging Adeleke’s victory.

According to Adegoke, the legal team, led by senior lawyers including Biodun Layoonu, Yomi Aliyu, Adegoke and Muritala Abdulrasheed, had advised Oyebamiji not to take the election dispute to the tribunal.

“Right from the second day of the election, at the level of the legal team being led by about four senior advocates of Nigeria, Dr Biodun Layoonu (SAN), Dr Yomi Aliyu (SAN), myself, Kunle Adegoke (SAN) and Dr Muritala Abdulrasheed (SAN),” Adegoke said.

He said the lawyers advised Oyebamiji that “the best in this circumstance is for us not to go to the tribunal”.

Adegoke also rejected the petition displayed at the tribunal, saying it was filed by people who were “masquerading as APC lawyers”.

“I want 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 APC as a party or its candidate,” he said.

The withdrawal also came as Adebayo Adedamola, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the August 15 election, separately denied authorising another petition filed in his name against Adeleke.

KanyiDaily recalls that Governor Ademola Adeleke was declared winner of the Osun governorship election after polling 511,067 votes.