Controversy surrounding the filing of petition against the declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the winner of August 15 gubernatorial poll in Osun was laid to rest on Tuesday as the legal practitioner, who submitted the document, Seyi Oyagbile, filed notice to withdraw the petition.

It is recalled that the petition sparked confusion in Osogbo on Monday as the legal team of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its standard bearer, Bola Oyebamiji, listed in petition as first plaintiff, disowned the appeal, describing it as fake and misleading.

However, in a notice of discontinuance marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, and titled “NOTICE OF MOTION TO WITHDRAW PETITION”, Oyagbile sought the leave of the tribunal to enable the petitioner to withdraw the petition on some grounds.

Bola Oyebamiji and the APC were listed as 1st and 2nd petitioners respectively, while Ademola Nurudeeen Jackson Adeleke, Accord and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were included as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents, respectively.

Oyagbile had filed petition on behalf of the running mate of Oyebamiji, Kayode Adereti and the APC. The matter was brought to the Election Petition Tribunal in pursuant to Sections 134,137,138,139,140 AND 149 of the Electoral Act, 2026 and First Schedule.

According to the certified true copy of the notice of discontinuance sighted by The Guardian, dated September 8, 2026,
“Take notice that this Honourable Tribunal/Court will be moved on……….the…………… day of.. 20 0 at the hour of 9 o’clock in the forenoon or as soon thereafter as the Petitioner or Counsel on his behalf can be heard praying the Tribunal/Court for an order enabling the Petitioner to withdraw the above petition.”

The notice to withdraw the petition was received and stamped by the secretary of the Osun Election Petition Tribunal, Belemo Deit-Spiff.

Meanwhile, Oyebamiji, who spoke to our correspondent from Saudi Arabia, where he was performing lesser Hajj, disowned the petition, clarifying that he never authorised anybody to challenge the outcome of August 15 gubernatorial, which he lost to Adeleke.

Similarly, a statement signed by the head, media and publicity of the APC  Campaign Council, Remi Omowaiye, described the petition as the handiwork of some disgruntled individuals desperate to mislead and hoodwink members of the public.

Omowaiye contended that reports claiming that the APC and its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), have filed a petition challenging the outcome of the August 15, 2026 governorship election at the Election Petition Tribunal were baseless and product of false narrative.

According to him, “the purported claim is therefore completely untrue and should be regarded as nothing more than a rumour being circulated by individuals seeking to mislead members of the public and create unnecessary tension.

“We urge members of the public, supporters of our great party and the media to disregard the claim and refrain from giving credibility to unverified information designed to cause confusion, “Omowaiye stated.