By Sunday Ameh
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kunle Adegoke, has said the withdrawal of petitions challenging the 2026 Osun State governorship election will help reduce political tension and save public funds.
Adegoke said prolonged election litigation could keep the state in uncertainty, distract elected officials from governance and heighten tensions among supporters of rival political parties.
He spoke on Thursday during Interview.
According to him, taking an election dispute to the tribunal places the entire state under pressure, as both politicians and citizens remain anxious over the eventual outcome.
“When you go to the tribunal to challenge the result of an election, the entire state will be on the edge,” Adegoke said, arguing that prolonged litigation could prevent elected officials from concentrating fully on governance.
The SAN also warned that political uncertainty could create opportunities for violent elements to attack supporters of opposing parties.
He recalled previous election disputes in Osun, claiming that prolonged litigation had in the past been accompanied by killings, injuries and destruction of property.
“For the three and a half years that we were at the tribunal, people were being killed, people were being maimed, properties were being destroyed,” he said.
Adegoke further highlighted the financial implications of election litigation, saying the tribunal process and related administrative arrangements require substantial public resources.
“Rather than even using taxpayers’ money… we can avoid all this. You know, the economy has not been good enough,” he said.
He acknowledged that politicians have a right to defend their interests where principles and integrity are involved, but argued that the wider interest of Osun residents should take precedence in the current situation.
“But in this instance, we believe that in the interest of the masses, the polity will be better protected by us allowing this particular instance to just go by,” he said.
The SAN also condemned political violence, urging politicians and their supporters to exercise restraint and respect the law.
He stressed that political leaders should remember that their ultimate responsibility was to protect citizens regardless of their political affiliations.
“We want to govern the people, want to govern living beings, not corpses, not dead bodies,” Adegoke said.
The 2026 Osun governorship election was won by Accord Party candidate Ademola Adeleke, who was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission with 511,067 votes, while APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji polled 444,815 votes.
Although petitions purportedly filed by the APC and PDP were displayed at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, both parties denied authorising the legal challenges.
The APC said it decided not to challenge the result in the interest of peace, while the PDP maintained that its candidate, Adebayo Adedamola, did not authorise any petition.
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