Osun APC seeks withdrawal of disputed petition against Adeleke
By: Abudu Olalekan
The legal dispute over the August 15 Osun State governorship election has taken another twist.
An application has been filed before the Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo, seeking permission to withdraw a petition submitted in the names of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
The move came just a day after the APC publicly disowned the petition. The party said it neither authorised the case nor approved the lawyers who filed it.
In a Notice of Motion dated September 8, 2026, and received by the tribunal’s secretariat the same day, the petitioner asked the court to allow the matter to be withdrawn.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were listed as respondents in the case. Oyebamiji and the APC were named as petitioners.
The controversy started after the tribunal displayed petitions challenging the outcome of the governorship election. On Monday, notices of two separate petitions, reportedly filed by the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were pasted at the tribunal premises.
That was when the APC stepped in.
Dr Abiodun Layonu, SAN, a senior member of the party’s legal team, said the petition did not come from the team and was never cleared by the party leadership. The APC campaign spokesperson, Remi Omowaye, also urged members of the public to disregard the document.
But the lawyer behind the petition, Mr Seyi Oyagbile, later admitted filing it. He said he acted on the instruction of the APC deputy governorship candidate, Engineer Benjamin Adereti.
Oyagbile further said Adereti signed the petition before it was submitted to the tribunal.
In the withdrawal application, the petitioner simply cited the “decision of petitioner” as the reason for seeking to discontinue the case.
The request comes as the tribunal begins hearing challenges linked to Adeleke’s victory in the August election, which INEC declared in his favour.
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.
