Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has strongly denied allegations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he bribed officials of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to sustain their strike action. The governor described the claims as “baseless, false and dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy and judiciary.”
The APC, through a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Mr. Kola Olabisi, had alleged that the Adeleke-led government paid top NULGE officials large sums of money to continue the eight-month-long strike, which has crippled activities at the grassroots level.
According to the APC, a senior member of NULGE was seen in a viral video revealing that each Head of Local Government Administration in the 69 councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) received ₦750,000, Directors of Administration and Finance were paid ₦500,000, while other directors and NULGE chairmen got ₦250,000 each.
The party said the alleged payments were made by the state government to prolong the strike, accusing Governor Adeleke of funding a workers’ protest against his own administration. The APC further claimed that the situation had caused immense hardship to traditional rulers, retirees, and rural communities due to a breakdown in local government services.
“This is a government that has now turned around to blame others for the chaos it created,” the APC’s statement read. “What kind of leadership promotes and funds an illegal work abandonment?”
Olabisi added that many retirees had missed out on their terminal benefits and that the local government system had collapsed under Adeleke’s watch. He said the party was patiently waiting for the end of the current administration, assuring supporters that the APC would return to restore “the lost glory of the state.”
In response, Governor Adeleke, in a statement released by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, on Sunday, described the allegations as false and politically motivated. He accused the APC of spreading misinformation in a bid to discredit his administration and destabilise the local government system.
“The APC’s claim is not only false but also a calculated attempt to mislead the public and undermine the rule of law,” Adeleke said. “The level of impunity being displayed by the APC is a serious threat to our democratic life.”
Governor Adeleke alleged that the APC had a history of disrespecting the judiciary. He referenced a recent Court of Appeal judgement which, according to him, the APC twisted to falsely claim that their sacked local government chairmen had been reinstated.
“The APC started with falsifying court judgments and then proceeded to invade and illegally occupy local council secretariats,” he said. “They attempted to access public funds illegally until the judiciary stopped them.”
The governor further criticised the opposition for continuing to challenge legal matters that are already before the Supreme Court. “They are bitter and bold in their disrespect for the judiciary,” he said.
Governor Adeleke insisted that NULGE is an independent workers’ union that acts on its own principles and interests. He denied any form of financial inducement from his government to NULGE officials.
“The union is fighting for what they believe is right. It is a collective effort by all stakeholders to protect the local government system from illegal takeover and looting,” he stated.
He urged the public to disregard what he called “a new bag of lies” from the APC and reaffirmed his commitment to due process and the rule of law.
“The people have rejected illegality, and the judiciary will soon make its final pronouncement. The opposition has reached the end of the road,” he added.
When Governor Adeleke took over in November 2022, his administration sacked the APC-elected chairmen and replaced them with PDP loyalists, citing a court ruling that nullified the elections. The APC has continued to challenge this decision in court, while NULGE workers began a strike, protesting what they called illegal appointments and poor treatment.
The matter is still pending before the Supreme Court, and until a final ruling is made, tension continues between the two major parties in the state over control of the local councils.
