By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies to be vigilant over what an alleged planned, state government–sponsored protest linked to the ongoing local government allocation impasse in the state.
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The warning was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Kola Olabisi, alleging that the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke had enlisted the services of some civil society organisations to stage coordinated protests across local government council areas after failing to achieve its objectives through litigation.
According to the APC, credible information available to the party indicates that the proposed protest is a political strategy designed to exert pressure on the Federal Government and security agencies over the direct release of federal allocations to local government councils in Osun State.
While stressing that it is not opposed to lawful protests in a democratic setting, the party warned that any protest allegedly “commercialised and politically motivated” should be treated with caution by security agencies.
“We are not against peaceful protest, which is a legitimate democratic right. However, when such protests are allegedly sponsored and deployed as political tools to intimidate the opposition or undermine the rule of law, they become a threat to public order,” the APC stated.
The party further claimed that the Adeleke administration has a history of encouraging industrial actions against itself, citing the prolonged strike by a faction of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the recent strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), which it alleged were promoted by the state government.
Describing the latest development as a “desperate attempt” to access accumulated local government funds, the APC alleged that the state government had explored several conventional and unconventional strategies following what it called the failure of legal, informational and political manoeuvres.
The party also alleged that the planned protest, reportedly scheduled for Monday, February 2, 2026, was being coordinated to appear as a spontaneous civil society action, while allegedly enjoying covert backing from the state government.
Raising security concerns, the APC claimed that the protest would be led by an individual from the South-East, warning that the development could be misinterpreted by residents as part of broader national unrest, potentially escalating tension in the state.
According to the party, the state government has continued to disregard the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on February 10, 2025, insisting that its inability to compel federal institutions to act outside the rule of law has driven its alleged resort to protests and strikes.
The APC urged the Commissioner of Police and other security chiefs in the state to remain alert and to “beam their searchlight appropriately” should there be any breakdown of law and order arising from the proposed protest.
