The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has withdrawn its petition challenging the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke, barely a day after members of the party’s legal team disowned the suit.
The petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, was filed at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo and displayed on the tribunal’s notice board on Monday.
Oluseyi Oyagbile, counsel who filed the petition, confirmed on Tuesday that he had withdrawn the suit following fresh instructions from the APC and its leaders.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 I have withdrawn the petition,” he said.
He added, “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, spokesperson for the Osun APC, also confirmed the development.
“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 But it is true that the petition has been withdrawn.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 had listed Bola Oyebamiji, the APC governorship candidate in the August 15 election, and the party as petitioners, while Adeleke, Accord and the Independent National Electoral Commission were named as respondents.
The withdrawal followed a dispute within the APC over the authorisation of the petition.
Adekunle Adegoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and member of the party’s legal team, had on Monday said the lawyers were not responsible for the petition challenging Adeleke’s victory.
Adegoke said the legal team, led by Abiodun Layoonu, Yomi Aliyu, himself and Muritala Abdulrasheed, had advised Oyebamiji against challenging the election at 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.
According to him, the lawyers advised Oyebamiji that “the best in this circumstance is for us not to go to the tribunal”.
Adegoke also disowned the petition, describing it as a document filed by individuals “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 development came alongside a separate denial by Adebayo Adedamola, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the election, who also disowned a petition reportedly filed in his name against Adeleke.
Adeleke was declared winner of the August 15 governorship election after polling 511,067 votes.
