Opeyemi Abolarinwa.
Organised labour in Osun State says it can no longer guarantee the support and votes of workers, pensioners and their families for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, following the continued withholding of local government allocations since February 2025.
The warning was contained in an address presented at a press conference by the Osun NLC chairman, Comrade Christopher Arapasopo, on behalf of organised labour, on Monday.
The press conference was held on the first day of the three-day sympathy strike directed by organised labour in the state to drive home their demands.
According to the unions, workers’ support is neither automatic nor unconditional, and must be earned through policies and actions that protect their welfare and dignity.“Workers’ support is neither automatic nor unconditional; it must be earned through policies and actions that protect their welfare and dignity.
The interests of workers, pensioners and their dependants must take precedence over individual political preferences,” he said.Labour said its loyalty is primarily to the working class and the people it represents, and it could no longer assure the President of the backing of Osun workers if the dispute is not resolved.
The unions demanded the immediate release of outstanding statutory allocations due to Local government councils, an end to payments into disputed bank accounts and protection of workers’ salaries, pensions, gratuities and other entitlements.
They said the ultimatum was issued after an emergency meeting of the State Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Osun State Council, held on October 28, 2026, but regretted that the authorities had failed to reach a satisfactory resolution.
The labour movement reaffirmed the commencement of a three-day sympathy strike in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Osun State Council, from midnight on Sunday, November 8, to midnight on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
According to the unions, the industrial action was necessary because of the prolonged hardship facing Local Government workers, whose cooperative deductions, allowances, pensions, gratuities and other legitimate entitlements remained threatened by the financial crisis.
“We cannot abandon our comrades in their hour of need. We apologise to residents who might experience disruptions to public services during the strike,” the unions said.
The labour unions maintained that the action was not intended to punish residents or deliberately inflict hardship on the people of Osun State.“Labour is not at war with the people of Osun State,” the statement said, while appealing for public understanding and solidarity during the industrial action.
Organised labour also revealed plans to picket branches of a financial institution over the withheld LG funds, urging participating workers and affiliate organisations to maintain discipline and ensure that the planned picketing remained peaceful and lawful.
