Adeleke bribed labour with N172m for 2026 bid— Osun APC

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of disbursing N172 million in state funds to labour unions as a bribe for endorsing his second-term bid during the 2025 May Day celebration.

In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, the APC claimed that the funds were distributed among the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Olabisi alleged that N97 million was allocated to NULGE, while NLC and TUC shared N75 million.

He stated that the financial inducement aimed to secure the public support of labour leaders for Adeleke’s re-election campaign, adding that the government also procured Ankara uniforms for state workers to create a facade of mass support at the Workers’ Day event.

“The intent is to stage a forced show of popularity for Governor Adeleke, whose support has continued to decline due to misgovernance,” Olabisi claimed.

The APC also criticized the prolonged absence of local government workers from duty, alleging that the Adeleke administration is enabling the ongoing strike to stall the enforcement of the February 10, 2025, Court of Appeal judgment that reinstated elected APC local government officials.

“Governor Adeleke’s support for the boycott by a faction of NULGE against his own government is a failure in governance,” Olabisi concluded.

The Osun State Government has not issued an official statement regarding the APC’s allegations at the time of filing this report.