It has emerged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, have made u-turn to challenege the outcome of the Osun State governorship poll held on August 15, 2026.
The surprise move by both APC and PDP to drag Adeleke to court came to light on Monday, September 7, 2026 when the two aggrieved parties and their candidates reportedly filed their respective petitions before the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo.
The petition of APC, marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, was filed by Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, the party’s candidate in the election, against Adeleke, Accord and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The PDP’s petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, was filed by its candidate, Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola against Adeleke, INEC and Accord.
In the Osun gubernatorial election, Adeleke of Accord Party had cruised to victory with total votes of 511,067 while his closest rival and candidate of APC, Bola Oyebamiji, got 444,815 votes across the 30 local governments of Osun State.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on August 16, 2026 called and congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke following victory in the Osun governorship poll, saying that “his victory once again confirmed the confidence the people of Osun State have in him”.
“I wish him great success as he prepares to lead the state for the next four years,” Mr. President was quoted to have said in a Presidential Villa State House press release, signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy).
Tinubu even went as far as advising the re-elected Osun Governor, saying that “now that he has won, Governor Adeleke must unite the people of Osun State and rally them for growth, stability, and social and economic progress, regardless of the political choices they made at the election”.
Not only that, Mr. President acknowledged that Adeleke’s victory was indisputable and commended the Independent National Electoral Commission and the security agencies “for conducting a peaceful and transparent election that produced a clear winner”.
The presidential rapprochement and apparent hand of fellowship to Governor Adeleke made watchers of Osun politics to conclude that APC would not trouble the governor with legal battle over his mandate renewal.
On his part, Wike appeared to have foreclosed the possibility of PDP faction challenging Governor Adeleke’s victory as he congratulated him and even tried to take some political credit in the outcome of the poll. The FCT Minister even insinuated that the dancing governor won because FG did not actually deploy federal might in the Osun governorship poll.
With the feeling that his victory would no longer be challenged, Governor Adeleke reciprocated the good gestures from the leaders of the two major opposition parties that contested against him.
He reaffirmed his support for President Tinubu in his second term bid and deliver Osun to him in 2027 presidential poll for the simple reason that Mr. President is “son of Osun State”.
However, it appears that things have started falling apart and the centre can no longer hold in the political alliance between Governor Adeleke and President Tinubu as far as the 2027 presidential poll is concerned.
If Mr. President and Wike eventually failed to rein in their parties and compel them to withdraw the election petitions against Adeleke, it would be hard to contemplate that the Osun Governor would still keep his promise and stick with the son of Osun.
