The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has withdrawn its petition challenging the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke, just one day after members of the party’s legal team publicly rejected the suit.
The petition, filed before the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, was withdrawn on Tuesday after APC leaders reportedly instructed the counsel handling the case to discontinue the matter.
Oluseyi Oyagbile, the lawyer who filed the petition, confirmed the withdrawal, saying he received fresh instructions from his client and party 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 I have withdrawn the petition,” Oyagbile said.
He added that he obtained written confirmation of the instruction through WhatsApp messages to avoid future disputes over the decision.
The petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, had listed APC governorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji and the party as petitioners, while Governor Adeleke, Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were named as respondents.
However, the legal action sparked controversy within the APC after senior members of the party’s legal team said they were not involved in filing the case.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kunle Adegoke, who was part of the APC legal team, said the lawyers had advised Oyebamiji not to challenge Adeleke’s victory at the tribunal.
Adegoke said the petition was not authorised by either the APC leadership or its governorship candidate, describing those behind the filing as individuals acting without approval.
“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 withdrawal came alongside another development involving the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after its governorship candidate in the election, Adebayo Adedamola, also disowned a separate petition filed in his name against Adeleke.
Governor Adeleke was declared winner of the August 15 governorship election after securing 511,067 votes, defeating his challengers.
The latest developments have removed two petitions linked to the election dispute, although questions remain over the internal disagreements that led to the attempted legal challenges.
