The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2026 Osun State election, Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as Fryo, has denied filing a petition challenging Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
Adedamola, whose name appears as the petitioner in a case currently before the tribunal, said he neither filed the petition nor authorised any lawyer to institute the case on his behalf.
Speaking during an interview on TVC News, the PDP candidate said he was unaware of the petition and questioned how it came before the tribunal.
“There is no petition filed by me or my counsel. I don’t know where they manufactured the petition they submitted at the tribunal,” Adedamola said.
He further stated: “In fact, I voted for Governor Adeleke on Election Day.”
The denial has raised questions over the petition filed before the tribunal challenging the outcome of the August 15 governorship election.
The petition, reportedly marked EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, lists Adedamola as the petitioner against Adeleke, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Accord Party.
Adedamola’s position puts the focus on who authorised the filing and whether the lawyers involved had his instruction to commence the legal action.
Adedamola emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate from a faction of the party that conducted its primary election in December 2025. He secured 919 of the 957 votes cast by delegates.
His emergence followed Adeleke’s exit from the PDP and subsequent movement to the Accord Party ahead of the governorship election.
However, Adedamola was reportedly not listed among the candidates on the final ballot for the August 15 election, which Adeleke won.
Despite this, a petition bearing Adedamola’s name has appeared before the election tribunal, challenging the result that returned Adeleke as governor.
Adedamola has now publicly disowned the case, saying he did not authorise the petition or instruct lawyers to challenge the election result.
