Osun APC bribery claim baseless, threat to democracy

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has dismissed allegations by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state that he bribed the leadership of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE.

Governor Adeleke also described the claims as baseless and a threat to democracy and the judiciary.

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In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed on Sunday, Governor Adeleke, said the APC’s claims were unfounded and another attempt to undermine the rule of law.

He said the APC’s continuous attacks and falsehoods were a manifestation of the opposition’s disregard for the judiciary and democratic principles.

“The level of impunity on display by the state APC constitutes a serious threat to our democratic life. The party started by falsifying a Court of Appeal judgment to claim a fake reinstatement of its court-sacked chairmen,” he said.

According to him, the APC had proceeded to ignore a valid judgment that affirmed the legality of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chairmen and councillors across the local governments.

“Behaving like political robbers in a lawless country, the state APC got even more emboldened to invade and occupy the council secretariats without any legal mandate. With a system that appears to pander to illegality, the opposition brazenly made to claim public funds through another layer of illegality until they were legally stopped,” he stated.

He added that the judiciary had provided necessary interventions, but the opposition’s open disregard for court processes had reached an alarming level.

“The judiciary had waded in to set the records straight. Unfortunately, the state APC appears so bitter and so bold about its disrespect for the judiciary that it can still be debating a matter now before the highest court in the land,” he maintained.

He urged the public to disregard the APC’s new bag of lies, saying the workers’ union was an independent body that needed no inducement to protect its own interests.

“The fight to stop the attempted looting of the local government treasury is a collective effort of all stakeholders who need no inducement to act responsibly. The opposition has come to the end of its game; the people have resisted illegality, and the judiciary will soon make its final pronouncement,” he added.

Earlier, the Osun APC had accused Governor Adeleke of financially inducing striking NULGE officials to sustain their prolonged absence from work.

The APC, in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, alleged that the governor paid senior NULGE officials large sums to continue their strike.

According to the APC, a viral video recorded

by a senior NULGE member revealed that each Head of Local Government Administration in the 69 local councils, including Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, received ₦750,000, while Directors of Administration and Finance were paid ₦500,000 each.

Other Directors and NULGE chairmen were said to have received ₦250,000 each, allegedly from the state government, to sustain the eight-month work abandonment.

“It is quite strange that a government could go so low to the extent of promoting and funding an illegal work abandonment against itself. This has led to the avoidable suffering of traditional rulers and grassroots dwellers,” Olabisi said.

He further alleged that the governor’s actions were responsible for delays in local government fund disbursements and accused Adeleke of shifting blame to the APC and federal agencies.

“Our soothing balm as a party is that this current government is tenured, and it will end by 27th November 2026. The APC will return to restore the lost glory of the state,” he added.

He also criticised NULGE leaders for selling out their conscience, accusing them of abandoning the welfare of rank-and-file council workers who are struggling to survive during the protracted strike.

The APC, while maintaining that the alleged bribery was an act of betrayal to the workforce, stressed that many retirees had missed their terminal benefits and celebrations due to the prolonged work stoppage.