The re-election of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has formally come under legal challenge as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) filed separate petitions before the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
News reports that the tribunal on Monday commenced the process by displaying the two petitions on the notice board of its secretariat in Osogbo, the state capital.
The development followed confirmation by the tribunal’s Secretary, Pefe Belemore, that petitions had been filed to challenge the outcome of the August 15 governorship election.
Belemore had earlier disclosed that the necessary notices would be pasted on the tribunal’s notice board before noon on Monday.
The APC petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, was filed by the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
Oyebamiji listed Governor Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents in the suit.
The PDP also filed a separate petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, through its candidate, Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola.
The respondents in the PDP petition are Adeleke, INEC and the Accord Party.
The two petitions seek to contest the result that returned Adeleke as governor for another term following the August 15 poll.
The formal display of the petitions is expected to be followed by the service of court processes on the respondents.
INEC had declared Adeleke the winner of the governorship election after he secured 511,067 votes. He defeated the APC candidate, who polled 444,815 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji prevailed in 11, giving the incumbent a margin of 66,252 votes.
However, despite challenging the election outcome at the tribunal, Oyebamiji had, in a statement issued on August 29, congratulated Adeleke on his victory.
Oyebamiji, while accepting the outcome, said the APC remained committed to pursuing justice and fairness through lawful and constitutional means, particularly in matters concerning the electoral process.
He urged party supporters not to be discouraged, stressing the need to remain committed to democracy and have confidence in institutions established to protect democratic rights.
“In the spirit of democracy and as we commemorate the 35th anniversary of the creation of our dear Osun State, I congratulate His Excellency, Senator Ademola Adeleke, the Executive Governor of Osun State, on his victory in the August 15, 2026 governorship election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission,” Oyebamiji said.
Ademola Adeleke; Bola Oyebamiji
Ademola Adeleke; Bola Oyebamiji
He also called on Adeleke, as the state’s Chief Security Officer, to take measures to protect lives and property, particularly in the post-election period.
The APC candidate alleged that some small and medium-sized businesses had been targeted because of the perceived political affiliations or non-allegiance of their owners to the ruling party.
He further demanded an end to what he described as killings, harassment and intimidation of APC members and supporters across the state.
Oyebamiji recalled incidents of violence recorded before and during the election, claiming that more than 35 APC members were killed in the violence.
He called on the police to thoroughly investigate the alleged killings and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.
According to him, following INEC’s declaration of the election result, the APC commenced consultations with party elders and other critical stakeholders to determine its next course of action.
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