The political contest over the 2026 Osun State governorship election has shifted from the ballot box to the courtroom, following the filing of separate petitions by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The two petitions were displayed on the notice board of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo on Monday, September 7, formally setting the legal process in motion over the August 15 governorship election. The tribunal’s secretary, Pefe Belemore, confirmed that petitions challenging the election outcome had been filed.

The development came shortly after reports that no petition had been filed before the close of the 21-day period for challenging the election result. The latest filing, however, shows that both the APC and PDP have now taken their grievances before the tribunal.

The APC petition, numbered EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, was filed by the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji. Governor Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were listed as respondents.

The PDP also filed a separate petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026. It was filed by Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, with Governor Adeleke, INEC and the Accord Party named as respondents.

The petitions challenge the outcome of the election which saw Adeleke, who contested under the platform of the Accord Party, returned as governor for another term.

According to the results declared by INEC, Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, defeating Oyebamiji of the APC, who recorded 444,815 votes.

With the petitions now formally before the tribunal, the dispute is expected to proceed through the required legal stages. These include the service of court processes on the respondents and subsequent pre-hearing and substantive proceedings.

The specific grounds on which the APC and PDP are challenging the election were not publicly available in the reports confirming the filing. The tribunal will therefore be expected to consider the respective claims and responses of the parties as the proceedings advance.

Officials of the Accord Party and members of Governor Adeleke’s legal team were also seen at the tribunal premises as preparations for the proceedings got underway.

The latest development has effectively opened a new chapter in the political contest that began with the August 15 election. While the election results have already produced a declared winner, the petitions mean the final legal position on the contested outcome will now be determined through the electoral tribunal process.

For Osun residents and political observers, attention will now turn to the tribunal as the APC and PDP seek to establish their respective cases, while Adeleke and the other respondents prepare to defend the declared result.

The proceedings are expected to provide the legal avenue for resolving the dispute and determining whether the outcome declared by INEC will stand or face any alteration through judicial determination.