Adeleke Escapes Tribunal Battle As Osun Petition Deadline Closes

Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the August 15 Osun State governorship election has gone unchallenged at the election petition tribunal following the expiration of the statutory period for filing petitions.

According to Punch, a check showed that none of the 14 political parties that lost the election approached the tribunal within the 21-day period allowed for challenging the result.

The deadline expired on Saturday, with officials at the tribunal registry confirming that no petition had been filed.

Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord, was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after securing 511,067 votes.

His closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), polled 444,815 votes. A total of 15 political parties presented candidates for the governorship contest.

Following the declaration of the result, an election petition tribunal office was opened at the Osun State High Court premises in Oke Fia, Osogbo, to receive complaints arising from the poll.

When Punch Online visited the tribunal on Saturday, the final day for filing petitions, the registry was open.

However, an official who responded to enquiries confirmed that no political party or candidate had submitted a petition challenging the election.

The expiration of the 21-day period means Adeleke’s victory faces no post-election challenge before the governorship election petition tribunal.

Reacting to the absence of petitions, Osun Accord Chairman, Victor Akande, commended the opposition parties and their candidates for accepting the outcome.

Akande described their decision as a demonstration of political maturity, arguing that resolving electoral contests at the ballot box could strengthen democracy.

He said, “We appreciate the maturity of the candidates of the opposition for not challenging the outcome of the poll. That itself is good for democracy, if an election stops at the poll.

“The idea of going to court to regain a mandate is sometimes not good for democracy.”

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olugbenga Ajala, also said he had no reason to approach the tribunal because he considered the election sufficiently credible.

Ajala said the outcome should be accepted, adding that, in his assessment, the candidate who secured the mandate deserved the victory.

“The election came, and it’s gone. Fair enough; we have to be content with the outcome of the poll because we believe the best candidate won, and we also believe that the president is fair enough,” he said.

He explained that his party would have challenged the result if it believed irregularities had substantially undermined the election.

“If the election has not been fair enough, we would have headed for the Tribunal, but we give thanks to God that the process can be seen by all to be very fair. That is why no party or candidate is coming forward for any petition,” Ajala added.