Adeleke Dismisses Osun APC Bribery Claim as Anti-Democratic

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has strongly refuted claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he bribed the leadership of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE). He described the allegations as false, baseless, and dangerous to democratic governance and judicial integrity.

In a statement released on Sunday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor dismissed the accusations as another ploy by the opposition to undermine the rule of law. He said the APC’s repeated attacks reflect a deep disregard for both the judiciary and democratic institutions.

“The level of impunity exhibited by the APC in Osun poses a serious threat to our democracy,” Adeleke stated. “They began by misrepresenting a Court of Appeal judgment to fraudulently claim the reinstatement of their ousted local government chairmen.”

He explained that despite a valid court ruling upholding the positions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmen and councillors, the APC allegedly ignored the judgment. According to the governor, the opposition went on to occupy council secretariats unlawfully and attempted to access public funds through illegal means until legal action stopped them.

Adeleke further noted that the judiciary had intervened to clarify the legal position, but the opposition continued to show open contempt for ongoing court processes. “The APC has grown so emboldened in its disrespect for the law that it is still contesting a matter already before the Supreme Court,” he added.

He urged the public to dismiss the APC’s bribery narrative, emphasizing that NULGE is an independent union that does not need inducement to safeguard its members’ interests. “The effort to protect local government funds is a collective one, not something driven by bribery. The opposition has exhausted its tactics; the people have stood their ground, and the judiciary will soon deliver its final verdict,” Adeleke said.

Earlier, the APC had issued a statement accusing the governor of financially influencing striking NULGE officials to continue their prolonged industrial action. According to Kola Olabisi, the party’s Director of Media and Information, a viral video allegedly showed a senior NULGE member claiming that senior local government officials were paid large sums to maintain the strike.

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The APC alleged that each Head of Local Government Administration across the 69 councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) received ₦750,000, Directors of Administration and Finance were paid ₦500,000, while other directors and NULGE chairmen got ₦250,000 each—all allegedly funded by the state government.

“It’s shocking that a government would stoop so low as to sponsor a strike action against itself,” Olabisi stated, accusing the governor of causing unnecessary hardship for traditional rulers and rural communities. He also blamed the alleged actions for delays in disbursing local government funds and accused Adeleke of deflecting responsibility onto the APC and federal agencies.

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The APC further criticized NULGE leaders for allegedly betraying their members, claiming that many retirees had been unable to receive their entitlements or celebrate their retirements because of the prolonged strike. The party insisted that the alleged bribery represented a “serious betrayal” of the workforce and vowed to “restore the state’s lost glory” when it returns to power after Adeleke’s tenure ends in November 2026.