By John Dike, Osogbo
The All Progressives Congress, APC in Osun State has accused the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, of partisanship in the ongoing crisis over the seized allocations to the councils in the state.
Particularly, the party accused the union of acting as an extension of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which is the ruling party in the state, rather than maintaining its independence as a professional labour organization.
Local Government workers in the state, under the umbrella of NULGE, have been on strike for the past seven months in solidarity with the Governor Ademola Adeleke administration.
But the APC, in a statement by its state Director of Media and Information, Mr. Kola Olabisi, described the ongoing local government workers strike as not only unjustified but also detrimental to governance and development at the grassroots level.
It asked the union to “go back to the drawing board” in the interest of the suffering masses across the state.
According to the statement, “It is sheer folly for any organization to inherit another man’s political enemies.
“Yet, that is exactly what the Osun NULGE leadership has done by aligning blindly with the Adeleke administration.”
It asked the state chapter of NULGE to reconsider its ongoing strike and return to their various duty posts across local government areas in the state.
The statement noted that the recent suit filed by the reinstated APC local government chairmen at the Federal High Court in Osogbo on Friday, September 12, 2025, seeking judicial confirmation of their full three-year tenure, has significantly altered the situation.
It warned that unless NULGE reconsiders its position, the strike may drag on indefinitely.
The party further expressed concern that while ordinary members of the union continue to suffer the consequences of the prolonged industrial action, the union’s leadership allegedly maintains close ties with the state government, enjoying financial benefits and attending seminars, even as their members languish in economic hardship.
According to the APC, if NULGE has been anticipating the end of the APC chairmen’s tenure in October, they may be disappointed, as the matter is now a subject of legal contention.
The lawsuit filed on September 12 has placed the tenure issue before the courts, casting doubt on any planned transition in the coming weeks.
“If Governor Adeleke’s administration believes it can replace the APC council chairmen in October, then it has quietly conceded to the Court of Appeal’s judgment of February 10, 2025, which reinstated the council officials—a judgment the governor had previously dismissed with disdain,” the statement read.
The APC also took a swipe at the governor’s decision to conduct a new local government election despite the subsisting tenure of the reinstated chairmen, describing it as a breach of due process and a violation of the judiciary’s authority.
Furthermore, the statement criticized Dr. Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, the Osun NULGE chairman, calling his leadership “the worst in the history of the union.”
The APC accused him of lacking objectivity, empathy, and administrative tact, arguing that he has consistently favored the ruling PDP to the detriment of NULGE members.
The party claimed that a recent fact-check revealed that some senior NULGE officials, despite the ongoing strike, recently attended a seminar in Lagos, enjoying privileges while their members remain unpaid and frustrated.
It said, “The Ogungbangbe-led NULGE leadership is driven by politics, not principle.
“They were installed by powers from Ede and have consistently misled their members. It is shameful that workers stayed away from work for months, collected salaries during this unlawful strike, and still claim to be acting lawfully. The world is watching.”
