Osun Workers Threaten to Withhold Votes from Tinubu over LG Funds

Organised Labour in Osun has warned President Bola Tinubu that their support in the 2027 general election cannot be taken for granted. The labour movement expressed dissatisfaction with the continued withholding of local government funds, warning that this could influence their political decisions. Osun State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Christopher Arapasopo, addressed journalists on behalf of Organised Labour in Osogbo, stating their concerns.

The warning comes after a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal and Osun State governments over the unresolved local government financial crisis expired. Arapasopo said the unions could no longer guarantee political support for Tinubu’s re-election while workers and pensioners continued to bear the consequences of the dispute, which has persisted since February 2025. The labour movement is particularly concerned about the financial difficulties confronting local government employees, retirees, and their dependants.

The Osun State labour movement declared that workers’ electoral support must be earned through concrete government actions capable of improving their living conditions and protecting their legitimate entitlements. They maintained that their support is neither automatic nor unconditional; it must be earned through policies and actions that protect their welfare and dignity. This statement suggests that the labour movement is seeking tangible government actions to address their concerns.

Although Labour acknowledged Governor Ademola Adeleke’s commitment to supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition, it insisted that the governor’s political preference could not determine the position of workers in the state. The unions said their primary responsibility was to defend the interests of their members, adding that the hardship allegedly resulting from the allocation controversy had made it impossible for them to remain indifferent.

Organised Labour reaffirmed its decision to embark on a three-day sympathy strike in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), beginning on November 8 and ending on November 11. The industrial action followed the failure of the two levels of government to address the issues raised in the ultimatum issued on October 28. The strike is a demonstration of the labour movement's commitment to pressing for a resolution to the local government fund controversy.

Beyond the strike, the unions announced plans to embark on peaceful picketing of United Bank for Africa branches across Osun State over the controversy surrounding the local government accounts into which the disputed allocations were allegedly being paid. They demanded the immediate release of outstanding local government funds into the appropriate accounts of constitutionally recognised local government administrations. The labour movement also called for an end to further payments into the disputed UBA accounts.

The labour movement appealed to the Federal and Osun State governments to urgently find a lasting solution to the local government fund controversy. While willing to engage in dialogue, Organised Labour said it would not abandon its struggle for the rights, welfare, and dignity of workers and pensioners. The situation remains a pressing concern for the labour movement, which is advocating for the protection and payment of workers’ cooperative deductions, allowances, pensions, gratuities, and other outstanding entitlements.

Key points

• The Osun State labour movement has warned that it cannot guarantee its support and votes for President Bola Tinubu's re-election unless the federal government resolves the local government fund controversy.
• The labour movement has embarked on a three-day sympathy strike in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to press for a resolution to the local government fund controversy.
• The unions have demanded the immediate release of outstanding local government funds into the appropriate accounts of constitutionally recognised local government administrations and an end to further payments into the disputed UBA accounts.