APC seeks to withdraw petition challenging ADELEKE’s victory

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 - The counsel who filed a petition on behalf of the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress and its candidate in the August 15 governorship poll, Bola Oyebamiji, Mr Seyi Oyagbile, on Tuesday, filed a motion seeking to withdraw the petition.

Oyagbile filed the motion dated September 8, 2026, at the tribunal office located within the premises of the Osun State High Court, Osogbo.

Notices of two petitions were displayed on the notice board of the tribunal office on Monday.

According to the notices signed by the Tribunal Secretary, Belemo Diete-Spiff, the first petition, numbered EPT/Os/Gov/01/2026, was filed by the Osun APC governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and the All Progressives Congress, against Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, the Accord and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In the second petition, numbered EPT/Os/Gov/02/2026, the Peoples Democratic Party was listed as the petitioner, while the Independent National Electoral Commission, Accord Party and Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke were named as respondents.

However, on the title page of the process obtained by The PUNCH and stamped by the Tribunal Secretary, Belemo Diete-Spiff, the counsel indicated his intention to withdraw the petition he filed on behalf of Oyebamiji and the APC.

The process, titled “NOTICE OF MOTION TO WITHDRAW PETITION,” stated, “TAKE NOTICE that this Honourable Tribunal/Court will be moved on……….the…………… day of.. 20 0 at the hour of 9 o’clock in the forenoon or as soon thereafter as the petitioner or counsel on his behalf can be heard praying the Tribunal/Court for an order enabling the Petitioner to withdraw the above petition on the following ground(s): DECISION OF PETITIONER.

“Dated this 8TH day of SEPTEMBER 2026.”

When contacted by phone, Oyagbile confirmed filing the motion to withdraw the petition, saying, “It is true. I have filed a notice to withdraw the petition.”

The PUNCH earlier reported that the legal team of the APC in Osun State had disowned the petition filed on behalf of the party challenging the victory of Adeleke in the August 15 governorship poll.

Speaking exclusively with The PUNCH on behalf of the legal team during a telephone interview on Monday, one of the leaders of the team, Adekunle Adegoke (SAN), insisted that no petition was filed on behalf of the APC candidate, Oyebamiji, or the party before the tribunal.

Adegoke said the legal team met with Oyebamiji and other party leaders shortly after the results of the poll were released to discuss the next line of action.

He added that, after consultations, the decision was taken not to challenge the outcome of the election.

He said the decision not to approach the tribunal was based on the need to de-escalate tension and allow peace to reign in the state.

Meanwhile, the PDP has urged the Nigerian Bar Association and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee to probe a petition purportedly filed on its behalf before the tribunal, insisting that the party did not authorise any lawyer to represent it.

A chieftain of the party in Osun State and its National Treasurer, Diran Odeyemi, said in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Tuesday that the PDP, led by Abdulrahman Mohammed as national chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary, did not engage any lawyer to challenge the outcome of the Osun governorship poll.

Odeyemi, who alleged impersonation, said the NBA and LPDC must unravel the identity of those behind the petition, stressing that the party did not file any petition before the governorship election petition tribunal.

“The PDP was embarrassed by the action of those who filed that petition. If any group is claiming to represent the PDP without the knowledge of the group led by Abdulrahman Mohammed as the national chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as the national secretary, the group or individual is an impostor.

“We are asking the NBA and the LPDC to investigate those who filed a petition without authorisation of our party because the PDP did not engage or authorise anyone to challenge Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election before the tribunal. We had a working relationship with the Accord during the last Osun governorship poll.

“We are ready to cooperate with any group or body that will be involved in probing the activities of those who filed the said petition.

“We must not allow impostors to mess up the Nigerian legal system and, to prevent a recurrence, the activities of those involved in the purported PDP petition regarding the Osun poll must be probed,” Odeyemi said.