…Party asks Adeleke to dissolve investigative committee and restore affected salary accounts
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke of subjecting some local government workers to alleged intimidation and victimisation over their perceived political affiliations.
The party made the allegation in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and signed by its Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Kola Olabisi.
According to the APC, a committee set up by the Osun State Local Government Service Commission is investigating council employees suspected of supporting the opposition party during the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
The party alleged that some of the affected workers had been invited to appear before an investigative and disciplinary panel at the Local Government Service Commission premises within the state Secretariat, Abere.
The APC further claimed that some employees were instructed to bring their mobile phones to the panel, where their devices were allegedly examined for communications with APC members before and during the election.
The party also alleged that the inquiry extended to the financial activities of some local government workers, particularly members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
According to Olabisi’s statement, the panel was interested in determining whether some NULGE members maintained accounts with United Bank for Africa (UBA), against the backdrop of the continuing disagreement between the state government and some local government officials over council funds.
The APC described the alleged exercise as an unacceptable intrusion into the political and private lives of workers.
It argued that public servants should be able to perform their duties without being subjected to disciplinary action because of their political preferences or voting choices.
The party further alleged that some council employees were questioned about their political activities and whether they voted for the APC during the August 15 governorship election.
It also claimed that investigators examined mobile-phone alerts and transactions, including those connected to UBA.
The APC alleged that the exercise was aimed at identifying workers suspected of supporting the opposition party or maintaining relationships with APC-backed local government officials.
The party further claimed that some of the affected workers had been threatened with suspension, dismissal or other disciplinary measures because of their perceived political affiliations.
The allegations come amid the prolonged political and legal dispute surrounding the administration of Osun State’s 30 local government councils.
Governor Adeleke has previously maintained that APC-backed council officials occupying some council secretariats lack lawful authority, while accusing them of withholding or controlling funds belonging to the councils.
In a January 26, 2026 statement, the Osun State Government said more than ₦130 billion in statutory allocations due to the local governments had allegedly not been released to what it described as the legally recognised council accounts. The government also accused UBA of allowing unauthorised persons to operate some local government accounts.
Adeleke subsequently reiterated his position in a June 15 press briefing, calling on UBA to ensure that local government funds were secured and made available to legally recognised signatories.
The APC, however, said the alleged investigation of council workers over their political associations raised questions about the boundary between legitimate administrative oversight and political activity.
“It is beyond the constitutional authority of any tier of government to punish its staff for exercising their political choice at the ballot box,” the party said.
It also questioned whether examining a worker’s phone or bank records could establish how the individual voted, given that voting in Nigeria is conducted by secret ballot.
The opposition party urged Governor Adeleke to immediately dissolve the committee and halt what it described as the intimidation of local government employees.
It also called for the reactivation of salary accounts belonging to affected workers whose accounts, according to the party, had been deactivated.
The APC maintained that local government employees should be allowed to carry out their official responsibilities regardless of which political party controls the government.
The party’s latest position follows earlier warnings by its state leadership over what it described as the potential use of government institutions to intimidate political opponents. In August, APC chairman Tajudeen Lawal urged Adeleke to exercise restraint amid tensions surrounding local government administration and called for political disputes to be handled through constitutional and legal channels.
The APC said the latest allegations had heightened concerns among council workers and residents about the political dimension of the continuing local government dispute.
It called on the state government to respect workers’ rights and ensure that administrative procedures were not used as a means of punishing employees for their political choices.
The party also urged the governor to discontinue what it described as a politically driven investigation and restore normal working conditions for the affected employees.
As of the publication of this report, the specific allegations concerning the examination of workers’ mobile phones, bank alerts and threats of disciplinary action remain claims made by the Osun APC and have not been independently established in the sources reviewed.
E-signed:
Mogaji Kola Olabisi
Director of Media and Information
Osun State APC
