Senior Advocate of Nigeria and political activist Kunle Adegoke has said the withdrawal of petitions challenging the 2026 Osun State governorship election was not an admission that the poll was completely free and fair.
Rather, Adegoke said the decision was driven by the need to preserve peace, prevent prolonged political tension and allow the state to move beyond the election dispute.
He spoke on Thursday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, Ogun State.
Adegoke’s comments came amid controversy over petitions purportedly filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party was declared winner of the August 15 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with 511,067 votes, ahead of APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
Although petitions appeared before the tribunal, both opposition parties subsequently distanced themselves from the cases.
APC’s legal team said it had decided, after consultations with Oyebamiji and party leaders, not to challenge the result, citing the need to reduce tension and maintain peace in the state.
The petition was subsequently withdrawn by the counsel who filed it after receiving fresh instructions.
The PDP similarly disowned a petition filed in its name, saying its candidate, Adebayo Adedamola, had not authorised any legal challenge.
Adegoke said the decision should be understood as political sportsmanship rather than an endorsement of every aspect of the electoral process.
He said political actors had resolved to “let bygones be bygones”, adding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s congratulatory message to Adeleke was consistent with the decision to move beyond the contest.
But he stressed that accepting the result did not mean all concerns surrounding the election had disappeared.
“The implication is that we are not saying that the election was free and fair, completely without any shadow of word of view here and there,” Adegoke said.
According to him, political actors could have reservations about an election while deciding that pursuing those grievances through prolonged litigation would not serve the wider interests of the people.
“We are statesmen, we are citizens in positions. We have resolved that nothing we want to become. And it is clear that we wanted to progress to be served. But the eventual situation does not permit us to plunge the position of service. We will not turn the state into turmoil,” he said.
Adegoke described the decision as a deliberate choice to put public interest ahead of an extended struggle for political power.
“The decision, notwithstanding the results of the election, is a confirmation of our own humanity and our own desire to serve the people, and fight for power and for office,” he said.
He also maintained that the APC did not formally protest the election through an authorised petition.
“It was not imported by APC… We never protested election. So we never protested,” he said.
Adegoke further urged politicians to distinguish between electoral competition and personal hostility, arguing that winning an election should impose a greater responsibility to serve rather than encourage arrogance or vindictiveness.
“When you contest an election and you win, it is not a license to be hypocritical, that is to be arrogant or become complacent. It is a mandate given to you to serve the people,” he said.
He added that contestants should not become enemies simply because they competed for the same political office.
“The person against whom I contested is not my enemy. We must merely contestants. We both wanted to serve the same society,” he said.
Adegoke’s Osun Central agenda
Adegoke, who is seeking to represent Osun Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, also outlined his proposed approach to legislative representation.
He said his ambition was to use Osun Central as a model for effective representation, with constituency projects spread across the district’s 10 local government areas based on their specific needs.
“I want to develop Osun Central. I want to use Osun Central as a template that will show what I would have done were I to be in the executive,” he said.
“I will use my legislative position to now ensure that constituency projects will be constructed in all the 10 local governments and will take into consideration the needs of that particular local government.”
He also promised to prioritise legislative oversight, stressing that the National Assembly’s supervisory role should not be limited to sanctioning executive officials who violate the law.
Adegoke said public funds allocated to constituency projects must be deployed according to the actual needs of communities.
“When it comes to constituency projects, yes, I mean, it is not my father’s money. It is government money that they are appropriating,” he said.
He pledged to consult widely and work with political opponents and other stakeholders where such cooperation would benefit residents.
“We are supposed to work together to ensure the success of our society. I will reach out to my opponents to see how we can better the lot of our society. I’m not going to do it in isolation, so long as they are willing to cooperate with me,” he said.
Adegoke said the ultimate objective of political participation should be service to society, arguing that electoral disagreements should not be allowed to destabilise the state.
He said the withdrawal of the petitions should therefore be seen as an effort to preserve Osun’s peace and enable governance to continue, rather than as a declaration that the election was beyond controversy.
“Let society enjoy its peace. Let the poor breathe,” he said.
