The petition purportedly filed by the All Progressives Congress and its Osun State governorship candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, challenging the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke has been withdrawn from the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
Counsel who filed the petition, Oluseyi Oyagbile, confirmed its withdrawal on Tuesday, saying he acted following fresh instructions from his client and leaders of the APC.
The withdrawal followed conflicting claims over whether the party and Oyebamiji authorised the petition, which was displayed on the tribunal’s notice board in Osogbo on Monday.
The petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, named Oyebamiji and the APC as petitioners, while Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission were listed as respondents.
It was reportedly filed on Saturday, September 5, the final day of the statutory period for challenging the outcome of the August 15 governorship election.
The APC Governorship Campaign Council and members of the party’s established legal team had subsequently disowned the petition, insisting that neither Oyebamiji nor the party authorised its filing.
They maintained that a decision not to challenge Adeleke’s victory was reached after consultations between Oyebamiji, party leaders and the legal team.
Oyagbile, however, initially defended the filing, saying APC deputy governorship candidate Kayode Adereti personally instructed him and signed the petition at the tribunal in the presence of some party leaders.
He argued that Adereti, having contested the election on a joint ticket with Oyebamiji, had sufficient standing to instruct counsel and participate in the filing of the petition.
Following the controversy, Oyagbile said his client and APC leaders contacted him on Tuesday and directed him to discontinue the case.
“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 I have withdrawn the petition,” he said.
The lawyer explained that he requested written confirmation of the withdrawal instruction to prevent further disagreement over whether he had been properly authorised.
“Before I did so, I made them send WhatsApp messages to me giving the instruction so that it will not be a matter of controversy again,” he added.
The withdrawal brings an end to the APC-related petition, subject to its formal recognition by the tribunal.
The withdrawal brings an end to the APC-related petition, subject to its formal recognition by the tribunal.
A separate petition marked EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, purportedly filed in the name of the Peoples Democratic Party, had also been displayed at the tribunal. The PDP’s listed governorship candidate has similarly denied authorising or filing the petition attributed to him.