By Our Political Correspondent
OSOGBO — The legal battle over the Osun State governorship election officially commenced on Monday as both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lodged formal petitions challenging the return of Governor Ademola Adeleke for a second term in office.
The petitions were confirmed at the tribunal secretariat in Osogbo, with the secretary of the tribunal, Pefe Belemore, verifying that the necessary legal documents had been submitted ahead of the statutory deadline.
According to Mr Belemore, the official notices pertaining to the filings will be displayed on the tribunal’s notice board before noon today, a procedural step that clears the way for the service of processes on all respondents and the subsequent scheduling of preliminary hearings.
Earlier in the day, Mr Belemore was observed in the courtroom alongside other secretariat officials as administrative preparations got under way for the tribunal’s proceedings.
The election, which took place on August 15, 2026, saw Governor Adeleke returned to office, but the two dominant political parties have now formally signalled their intent to scrutinise the conduct and outcome of the poll.
The APC’s petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, was filed by the party’s governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. The respondents listed in the challenge are Governor Adeleke, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Accord party.
In a parallel move, the PDP’s petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, was submitted by its candidate, Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, against the same trio of respondents: Governor Adeleke, INEC, and the Accord.
Legal observers note that the display of the petitions marks the formal commencement of what is expected to be a closely watched pre-election dispute, with both major parties raising objections to the declaration of results by the electoral umpire.
Neither INEC nor Governor Adeleke’s camp had issued an immediate response to the filings at the time of this report.
The tribunal is expected to proceed with the service of legal processes on all parties involved in the coming days, after which dates for substantive hearings will be fixed.
This latest legal challenge adds to the growing list of post-election disputes across the country, underscoring the increasingly litigious nature of Nigeria’s electoral cycle.
Further reports will follow as the tribunal sits.
