Osun APC, PDP clash over prolonged LG shutdown

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State have engaged in a fresh war of words over the continued closure of local government secretariats across the state, a crisis now in its third month.

Since February 17, 2025, staff across the 30 local government areas in Osun have stayed away from work, complying with a directive issued by Dr. Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, the state president of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

The order followed escalating tensions between the ruling PDP and opposition APC over control of the councils.

The political conflict, which has resulted in the death of at least six individuals—including APC’s Irewole Local Government chairman, Remi Abbas has paralyzed administrative activities.

While APC-backed chairmen have taken control of the secretariats, the absence of workers has brought governance at the grassroots to a standstill.

Although the APC leadership has made repeated appeals for workers to return to duty, NULGE has refused, and the union has taken legal action at the Osun State High Court in Ilesa, accusing the APC-installed chairmen of unlawfully occupying the councils.

Speaking with The PUNCH, APC’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, laid blame squarely on Governor Ademola Adeleke, accusing him of deliberately allowing the strike to fester.

“For over three months, governance at the local level has been nonexistent, yet Governor Adeleke has made no move to resolve the situation. It’s a clear sign of leadership failure,” Olabisi claimed.

He alleged that the PDP government was behind the strike, using NULGE as a tool to sabotage APC-elected officials who were reinstated by a court ruling.

According to Olabisi, the shutdown has caused significant hardship, forcing residents to seek essential services in neighboring states.

He added that the situation has also led to revenue losses, as the local governments remain non-functional despite the receipt of federal allocations.

“The governor seems more interested in attending social functions than addressing the suffering of his people,” he remarked, calling on the National Assembly and the Presidency to intervene immediately.

In response, PDP spokesperson Oladele Bamiji rejected the allegations and insisted that Governor Adeleke acted responsibly by prioritizing safety amid the escalating tensions.

Bamiji accused the APC of stoking violence in a failed attempt to provoke chaos that could justify a declaration of a state of emergency.

“The temporary suspension of local government operations was a necessary move to protect lives and property. The governor chose the path of peace by seeking legal redress rather than responding to provocation,” he said.

He claimed the APC had hoped the unrest would spiral out of control, paving the way for federal intervention to reclaim political relevance in the state.

Bamiji urged President Bola Tinubu to disregard what he described as “a desperate ploy by a defeated party” to use federal power to settle political scores.

“The APC has not recovered from its loss in the 2022 governorship election. Their appeals for ‘federal might’ are nothing more than an admission of political failure,” Bamiji concluded.