Osun Election Takes New Turn as APC Challenges Adeleke’s Victory at Tribunal

The political contest over the Osun State governorship election has taken a fresh turn after the All Progressives Congress challenged Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory before the state’s Election Petition Tribunal.

The APC’s petition was formally displayed on the notice board of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo on Monday, 7 September.

The development marks the beginning of a formal legal process over the outcome of the 15 August governorship election, which saw Adeleke declared the winner and returned for another term.

The petition filed by the APC is registered as EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026.

It was filed by the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

Governor Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission are named as respondents in the case.

A second petition arising from the same election has also been registered before the tribunal.

The case, numbered EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, was filed by Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola against Adeleke, INEC and the Accord Party.

The posting of the petitions is a procedural step in the election litigation process and does not amount to a ruling against the governor or any of the respondents.

Tribunal secretary Pefe Belemore had earlier indicated that the notices would be displayed before noon on Monday.

Tribunal secretariat staff were also present in the courtroom as preparations for sitting continued.

The next stage requires the relevant parties to be formally served with the petitions.

Only after the required service and other preliminary procedures have been completed can the substantive hearing of the cases begin.

The detailed grounds of the two petitions have not been made public.

It is therefore not yet possible to establish the specific claims being made by the petitioners or the evidence they intend to rely upon in challenging the election result.

The tribunal has not issued any ruling in either case.

Adeleke consequently remains the declared winner of the 15 August election and continues in office.

The legal challenge does not, by itself, invalidate the election result or remove the governor from office.

Instead, it gives the petitioners an opportunity to present their cases before the tribunal and seek a judicial determination based on the evidence and applicable law.

The respondents will also have the opportunity to respond to the petitions and defend the election outcome.

Election petitions are subject to specific legal procedures, including the filing and service of court documents, responses from respondents, presentation of evidence and legal arguments, before a tribunal can reach a decision.

The APC’s petition now places Adeleke’s re-election under formal judicial scrutiny.

For Oyebamiji and the APC, the tribunal provides the legal avenue through which they can challenge the result declared after the August election.

For Adeleke and the other respondents, the proceedings provide an opportunity to defend the declared outcome.

However, the eventual direction of the case cannot be determined simply from the filing of the petition.

The tribunal must first hear the parties and consider the evidence properly presented before it.

The second petition adds another legal challenge to the result, although its detailed grounds have also not been published.

Both cases therefore remain at an early stage.

The immediate focus will be on completing service of the petitions and other preliminary requirements before substantive proceedings can commence.

Until the tribunal issues a decision, the existing election result remains in force.

Adeleke remains governor of Osun State and the declared winner of the 15 August governorship election.

Monday’s development nevertheless represents a significant new phase in the aftermath of the poll.

What began with the declaration of an election winner has now moved into the judicial arena, where the APC and another petitioner will have the opportunity to challenge the result through the established legal process.

The tribunal will ultimately determine the petitions based on the cases presented by the parties and the evidence placed before it.