The Osun State branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to step in regarding the ongoing issues faced by local government workers in the state.
The party particularly called on NULGE’s National President, Comrade Aliyu Haruna Kankara, to be wary of being misled by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration, which it alleges has distorted the realities of local government operations in Osun.
In a statement from APC’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the party cautioned Kankara against falling for the state government’s narrative, especially given NULGE’s current divisions in Osun.
Olabisi noted that there are now two factions claiming leadership of NULGE in the state. One faction, led by Comrade Tirimisiyu Adekunle and Comrade Akinkunmi Adepoju, identifies itself as the Association of Concerned Local Government Employees (ACLGE).
The APC characterized the divided NULGE leadership, led by Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, as supportive of the PDP-led government in Osun.
According to the statement, Ogungbangbe’s faction has not kept Kankara informed about the true situation, particularly the state government’s refusal to comply with the Court of Appeal ruling from 10 February 2025, which restored the APC’s local government council chairmen and councillors.
The APC further expressed concern that since the significant judgment, the state’s divided NULGE leadership has refused to return to work, thus hindering administrative functions in local government councils throughout Osun.
The party accused the faction of aligning with the Governor Adeleke-led administration, which it claims has consistently shown disregard for the rule of law.
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The APC also alleged that NULGE’s leadership in Osun has effectively become more of an opposing force against the APC rather than acting as a true union.
Olabisi cautioned Kankara not to be influenced by what he described as the underhanded politics of the Adeleke administration, emphasizing that the NULGE leadership should not tolerate actions that undermine the rule of law and judicial authority.
The APC raised alarms about the recent surge of violence in the state, notably mentioning the murder of Remi Abass, one of the reinstated local government chairmen, along with several other APC members.
The party asserted that these homicides were perpetrated by PDP supporters, yet the divided NULGE leadership has neglected to inform the national leadership about the situation.
The statement concluded with a request for NULGE’s national leadership to ensure the divided state NULGE leadership ends its boycott of the local government councils, which has left the third tier of governance in Osun paralyzed for over two months.
It reminded Comrade Kankara that the state government had ignored instructions from both the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police, which stated that there was no necessity for local government elections due to the lack of vacancies.
The APC warned that continued backing of the Osun State government’s defiance of the Court of Appeal ruling could harm NULGE’s reputation and have serious implications for the union’s standing in legal matters.
