The prolonged shutdown of local government secretariats across Osun State has entered its third month, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) trading accusations over the crisis.
Local government workers have stayed away from duty since February 17, following a directive from the state president of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Dr. Nathaniel Ogungbangbe. The directive came amid a power struggle between the APC and the ruling PDP over control of the 30 local government areas.
The conflict has led to deadly violence, including the killing of at least six people—among them the APC-elected chairman of Irewole LGA, Remi Abbas.
While APC-backed chairmen have since taken control of the secretariats, the absence of civil servants has effectively paralyzed local governance.
Efforts by the APC to convince workers to resume have failed, and NULGE has filed a lawsuit at the Osun State High Court in Ilesa, accusing the APC-elected chairmen of illegally occupying the council offices.
Speaking to The PUNCH, APC Director of Media, Kola Olabisi, accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of deliberately allowing the strike to persist.
“For three months, there’s been no governance at the grassroots, and Governor Adeleke hasn’t lifted a finger to resolve the crisis,” Olabisi said. He claimed the PDP was using NULGE to sabotage the APC chairmen, who were reinstated by a February 10 Court of Appeal judgment.
Olabisi further lamented the impact on residents, stating that many now travel to neighboring states for services.
He called on the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu to step in.
In response, PDP spokesperson Oladele Bamiji denied any wrongdoing by Governor Adeleke, instead accusing the APC of fueling violence in an attempt to create a crisis and prompt federal intervention.
“The governor’s decision to halt physical activities at LG offices was a protective measure to prevent further bloodshed,” Bamiji said, adding that the PDP would continue to seek a legal resolution.
He accused the APC of trying to destabilize the state and push for emergency rule.
“They lost the 2022 election and are now grasping at straws.
Their appeal to the federal government is nothing but a desperate move,” Bamiji added.