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Rider: Senior lawyer says prolonged election litigation could heighten political tension, divert attention from governance and expose citizens to avoidable violence.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kunle Adegoke, has said the withdrawal of petitions challenging the outcome of the 2026 Osun State governorship election will help reduce political tension, protect lives and save public funds that could otherwise be spent on prolonged litigation.
Adegoke said continued legal battles could keep the state in political uncertainty, distract the government from governance and increase the risk of clashes between supporters of rival political parties.
He spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, while discussing the implications of the withdrawal of petitions challenging Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the August 15 governorship election.
According to Adegoke, election disputes before tribunals could place an entire state under tension because uncertainty over the outcome may affect both the government and citizens.
He said a governor facing prolonged litigation over an election could become preoccupied with the legal battle instead of concentrating fully on governance.
“When you go to the tribunal to challenge the result of an election, the entire state will be on the edge.”
Adegoke added that prolonged litigation could affect the performance of government and create uncertainty among citizens.
Prolonged Litigation Could Fuel Tension
Adegoke said ordinary citizens were also affected by prolonged election disputes because they remained anxious about the outcome of the judicial process, while supporters of opposing political parties could become increasingly apprehensive.
He warned that such uncertainty could create opportunities for violent elements to exploit political divisions and attack supporters of rival parties.
“Everybody will be eager, will be pensive, expecting what will be the outcome of the tribunal. And you discover that violent elements will take that opportunity to be attacking one another, killing people, maiming.”
The SAN recalled previous election disputes in Osun State, saying prolonged litigation had in the past been accompanied by violence 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 the experience should make political actors cautious about prolonging electoral disputes where there was an opportunity to prevent further tension and allow the state to focus on governance.
Adegoke maintained that the consequences of political violence were rarely limited to politicians directly involved in an election, stressing that ordinary citizens often bear the greatest cost.
“The people that are being killed, the majority of them are poor people.”
Public Funds Should Not Be Wasted
Adegoke also highlighted the financial implications of prolonged election litigation, saying public resources were required to support the tribunal process and related administrative arrangements.
“Rather than even using taxpayers’ money, because for the tribunal to be maintained, for the process to go smoothly and what have you, it costs the government a lot of money.”
He said the financial consideration was particularly important at a time when economic conditions remained difficult for many Nigerians.
The SAN argued that public resources should not be unnecessarily committed to managing the consequences of political disputes when political actors could choose a peaceful path.
‘We Are Fighters’
Adegoke acknowledged that politicians and political actors were naturally inclined to defend their interests, particularly when they believed that principles were involved.
We are fighters, and that is what we enjoy very much, especially when it is based on principles, integrity and the protection of the interests of the masses.”
However, he said the circumstances surrounding the Osun election required consideration of the wider interests of the people.
“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 decision not to proceed with the tribunal process was also aimed at preventing supporters of opposing political parties from becoming targets of attacks.
“That’s why we decided not to go to the tribunal. We didn’t want to complicate things further.”
Adegoke Condemns Political Violence
The SAN condemned the use of violence as a tool of political participation, particularly by individuals who use political activities as a cover to attack opponents.
He criticised what he described as “hooligans who in the name of political participation resort to violence” and said political activities should remain within the limits of the law.
Adegoke also said governments and political leaders had a responsibility to ensure that laws designed to protect citizens were effectively enforced.
“There are certain laws made to protect the interest of the people but which the government has not been implementing.”
He further warned politicians against statements or actions capable of encouraging violence, saying public office requires restraint, decorum and responsibility.
“The public office is not a place of our temper. It’s a place of decorum, of controlling one’s abilities.”
‘We Want to Govern Living People, Not Corpses’
Responding to concerns over a statement attributed to Senator Fadahunsi, Adegoke said he would not justify the statement, noting that the senator had apologised and withdrawn it.
He said politicians seeking public office must understand that their ultimate responsibility is to govern living citizens and protect their lives irrespective of political affiliation.
“We want to govern the people, want to govern living beings, not corpses, not dead bodies.”
Adegoke said even individuals regarded as violent or difficult should not be treated as people who deserved death, arguing that society should instead seek to reform them.
“Some of them might be violent, some of them might be people of less desirable character, but we don’t have the mandate to sentence them to death. Ours is to aspire to reform them.”
Osun Governorship Election Results
The 2026 Osun State governorship election was won by Ademola Adeleke, who was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, secured 444,815 votes.
Petitions purportedly filed by the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were subsequently displayed at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo.
Both parties, however, denied authorising the petitions.
The APC said its legal team, after consultations with Oyebamiji and party leaders, decided not to challenge the election in the interest of peace. The PDP also said its candidate, Adebayo Adedamola, had not authorised any legal challenge.
Adegoke said the withdrawal of the petitions should provide an opportunity for Osun State to lower the political temperature and redirect attention towards governance, peace and the welfare of its citizens.
