Osun APC accuses Gov Adeleke of victimising LG workers

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke's administration of unfairly targeting local government workers based on their political affiliations. The party's Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, detailed these claims in a statement issued on Tuesday. The APC alleged that the Osun State Local Government Service Commission had formed a committee to investigate council workers suspected of backing the opposition party during the August 15 governorship election.

The party identified Tunji Adeleke Jnr, the governor's nephew and chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, as the head of this committee. According to the APC, workers were summoned to face a disciplinary panel at the Local Government Service Commission in Osun State's secretariat, and some were required to present their mobile phones, which allegedly underwent searches for communications with APC members before and during the election.

Furthermore, the party claimed that the committee was investigating whether certain members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) operated accounts with a specific commercial bank amid a dispute over local government funds. The APC described these actions as inhumane, barbaric, and unconstitutional, deeming it unacceptable to penalize LG workers based on their political choices.

The party asserted that several council workers were questioned in Osogbo regarding their political activities, banking transactions, and voting patterns for the APC in the gubernatorial election. The APC also alleged that workers' phones and bank alerts were scrutinized, particularly for communications and transactions involving UBA, suggesting that the investigation aimed to identify employees potentially supporting the opposition.

The party further claimed that some LG workers faced threats of dismissal, suspension, or other disciplinary actions due to their perceived political connections. The APC emphasized that distinguishing between administrative investigations and political surveillance is crucial, as Nigeria's voting system operates through a secret ballot.

They called on Governor Adeleke to reinstate the deactivated accounts of local government workers and halt what they described as a "sadistic approach to governance." The allegations arise from an ongoing dispute over the administration and control of Osun's 30 local government councils, with the state government and APC-backed council officials holding contrasting viewpoints.