…Warns security agencies to prevent breakdown of law and order
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sharply criticised the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the state over conditions attached to the planned resumption of work by its members after a prolonged strike, insisting that the union lacks the authority to dictate terms to elected local government officials.
The party accused the state NULGE chairman, Dr Kehinde Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, of dragging the union into partisan politics and acting as an extension of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s political interests.
In a statement signed by the Osun APC Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Kola Olabisi, and dated December 30, 2025, the party described the union’s posture as illegal, provocative and capable of triggering unrest across the state’s local government areas.
The statement reads partly:
“We are stating unequivocally that the leadership of the Osun State chapter of the NULGE led by Ogungbangbe is asking for more than it can chew, as it is beyond the scope of their official responsibilities to dictate the council executives they could work with.
“When did NULGE assume the role of the courts to decide which judgment to obey or not? This posture has turned the union into a grossly partisan and meddlesome interloper in the eyes of right-thinking members of society.
“It is unheard of for employees to dictate rules of engagement to their employers. The conditions rolled out for resumption are contemptuous, criminal, unacceptable, illegal and unknown to civil service procedures.
“Should there be a breakdown of law and order arising from this verifiably partisan posture, Ogungbangbe should be expressly held responsible.”
The APC said the reported willingness of NULGE workers to resume duty after about ten months of what it described as a “sympathy strike” was welcome, but maintained that the strike itself was politically motivated and allegedly orchestrated by the state government.
According to the party, the insistence by NULGE on certain political conditions before resumption amounted to an attempt to usurp judicial powers, particularly as issues surrounding the tenure of reinstated APC local government chairmen and councillors are still before the Federal High Court in Osogbo.
The APC further faulted the union leadership for allegedly ignoring the subsisting court processes, stressing that only the courts have the authority to determine whether local government elections can be conducted while the tenure dispute remains unresolved.
Raising security concerns, the party warned that the union’s actions could be a calculated move to create chaos and instability in local council areas currently administered by APC-reinstated chairmen and councillors.
The APC called on security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to be on high alert and prevent any attempt to disrupt public peace under the guise of union activities.
It also urged security operatives to protect NULGE staff who genuinely wish to return to work without attaching what it termed “obnoxious and illegal conditions” to their resumption.
The party appealed to parents and guardians to caution youths against being used as instruments by political actors, warning that those instigating unrest often keep their own families far from danger.
The APC reiterated its confidence in the capacity of security agencies to maintain law and order across all local government areas and warned that any breakdown of peace would be squarely blamed on the leadership of the Osun NULGE.
