Fresh Dispute Emerges Over APC Petition Against Adeleke

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier on Monday filed separate petitions before the Osun Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal challenging the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the August 15 governorship election. However, a fresh dispute has emerged over the authenticity and authorisation of the APC petition, with two legal positions now before the tribunal. The APC and its governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, are challenging Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission in a case marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, filed by a legal team led by Barrister Oluseyi Oyagbile. But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Abiodun Layonu, who said he was speaking for the APC legal team, disowned the petition, saying neither the party nor Oyebamiji authorised its filing.

Oyagbile, however, maintained that the petition was validly filed and signed by Kayode Adereti, Oyebamiji’s deputy governorship candidate, who he said personally appeared to execute the document. He said he filed the case based on his understanding that Adereti had the legal standing to initiate the action because he contested alongside Oyebamiji on a joint ticket. Oyagbile also said he was unaware of the lawyers referred to by Layonu and maintained that he was not aware of any law requiring a particular APC legal team to be consulted before an election petition could be filed.

Written by News Room