• Two petitions challenge governor’s victory
• Oyebamiji, Adedamola seek nullification of August 15 poll
The victory of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, in the August 15, 2026 governorship election has come under legal challenge, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) filing separate petitions at the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The two petitions were formally displayed on the notice board of the tribunal’s secretariat in Osogbo on Monday, marking the commencement of the legal process over the outcome of the election.
The development came after there was initially no petition on display at the tribunal secretariat last Friday, despite 15 political parties participating in the election.
The Secretary of the tribunal, Pefe Belemore, had earlier confirmed that petitions challenging the election outcome had been received and would be made available for public inspection.
He said: “The necessary notices would be displayed 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, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
Oyebamiji listed Governor Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents.
Similarly, the PDP petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, was filed by Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola against Adeleke, INEC and the Accord Party.
The two petitions are challenging the outcome of the governorship election in which INEC declared Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, the winner.
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji of the APC, who secured 444,815 votes.
The election, conducted across the 30 local government areas of the state, recorded 985,079 valid votes, while 20,721 ballots were rejected.
The petitions were reportedly filed within the period prescribed by law and subsequently subjected to the necessary administrative processes before being publicly displayed.
The public display is expected to pave the way for formal service of the petitions and other legal processes on the respondents.
The development has opened a fresh legal battle over the keenly contested election, with the parties expected to present their respective cases before the three-member tribunal.
The tribunal’s proceedings will determine the next phase of the electoral dispute as the petitioners seek judicial review of the election outcome.
