Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke's administration of victimising local government workers over their perceived political affiliations, describing the alleged treatment of the workers as "inhuman, barbaric and unconstitutional" and demanding the immediate dissolution of a committee investigating council staff. The party's Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Kola Olabisi, made the allegations in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in Osogbo.
The APC alleged that the Osun State Local Government Service Commission, under the chairmanship of Tunji Adeleke Jnr, whom the party identified as the governor's nephew, had constituted a committee to investigate local government workers suspected of supporting the opposition during the August 15 governorship election. According to the party, affected workers were invited to appear before an investigative and disciplinary panel at the commission's premises in Abere, Osogbo, where they were questioned about their political activities.
The party further alleged that some of the workers were instructed to bring their mobile phones to the panel, where the devices were reportedly searched for communications with APC members before and during the election. The APC also claimed that the committee examined whether some members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees operated accounts with United Bank for Africa, amid the ongoing dispute over local government funds. Workers' phones and bank alerts were allegedly examined, particularly for communications and transactions involving UBA, with the exercise purportedly aimed at identifying employees suspected of supporting the opposition. The party also alleged that some workers were threatened with dismissal, suspension or other disciplinary measures over their perceived political affiliations.
"It is inhuman, barbaric and unconstitutional for you to victimise, dehumanise LG workers on their political affiliation," the statement said. The APC argued that the reported examination of workers' phones and bank alerts raised questions about the distinction between administrative investigations and political surveillance, noting that voting in Nigeria is conducted through a secret ballot. The party called on Governor Adeleke to reactivate the accounts of local government workers whose salary payment accounts had allegedly been deactivated and to disband what it described as the "obnoxious committee."
The controversy comes amid a prolonged dispute over the administration and control of Osun's 30 local government councils. In May 2026, the Association of Concerned Local Government Workers had alleged that more than 400 council employees were suspended or removed from the state payroll over their alleged association with APC-backed local government officials. The association had also publicly backed the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, ahead of the August 15 election, adding a political dimension to the wider dispute over local government administration.
The Osun State Government has dismissed the allegations, with the governor's spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, describing them as "fake news" by the opposition. Rasheed said the governor had, following the August 15 election, declared that there was "no winner, no vanquished" and extended an olive branch to political opponents. He said the governor had also announced forgiveness for those who offended or persecuted him during the election period and called on opponents to work with his administration towards building a more prosperous Osun State. The spokesperson said the governor had demonstrated his commitment to post-election reconciliation by establishing an electoral violence compensation fund and two other panels aimed at addressing political violence in the state. "The allegation of witch-hunt by the Osun APC is therefore a figment of the opposition's imagination," Rasheed said. "No local government staff is being witch-hunted as they are all protected by service rules and regulations which they all swore to abide with."
Rasheed maintained that the Adeleke administration remained committed to protecting the rights of public servants within the provisions of the law and public service regulations. He, however, urged public servants to comply with the rules governing the civil service, stressing that obedience to regulations was necessary for discipline, orderliness and effective service delivery.
The APC's allegations and the government's denial reflect the continuing political tensions in Osun State following the governorship election. The APC has consistently accused the Adeleke administration of using state institutions to target political opponents, while the government has framed the allegations as part of a broader disinformation campaign by the opposition. The Local Government Service Commission has not issued a public statement on the specific allegations raised by the APC, and the affected workers have not come forward publicly to confirm the claims. The controversy is likely to remain a flashpoint in Osun politics as the 2027 general elections approach.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments