The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State clashed on Monday, each blaming the other for the ongoing shutdown of local government secretariats, now in its third month.

Since February 17, 2025, workers in all 30 local government areas have stayed away from their offices following an order by Dr. Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, the Osun State President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

The directive came amid escalating tensions between the ruling PDP and opposition APC over control of the local governments. The power struggle has sparked violent clashes, resulting in at least six fatalities, including Remi Abbas, the APC-elected chairman of Irewole Local Government.

Although APC-backed chairmen have taken over the local government secretariats, the absence of civil servants has brought operations across all LGAs to a standstill.

Attempts by APC leaders to convince workers to resume duties have been unsuccessful.

In response, NULGE has taken legal action, filing a suit at the Osun State High Court (Ilesa Division) against the APC-elected chairmen, accusing them of forcibly seizing control and unlawfully occupying the council secretariats.

APC Director of Media in the state, Mr. Kola Olabisi, decried the ongoing administrative vacuum at the grassroots, accusing Governor Ademola Adeleke of deliberately orchestrating the strike.

“The absence of governance at the local government level in Osun State for the past three months without Governor Adeleke making any attempt to resolve the crisis is evidence of monumental failure. Whatever affects the part will inevitably affect the whole,” Olabisi stated.

He alleged that the PDP-led administration was sponsoring the local government workers’ strike through a “pliant” NULGE leadership to undermine the APC chairmen reinstated by the appellate court.

“Governor Adeleke, who is contesting the February 10, 2025, Court of Appeal judgment, has effectively used the NULGE leadership to shut down the entire LG system since then,” he added.

He further lamented the hardship faced by residents due to the shutdown, claiming that many now travel to neighboring states for basic services usually provided at the council level.

“It is not an overstatement to say that the Adeleke administration, which survives on monthly federal allocations, has suffered revenue losses due to this shutdown. Yet, the governor remains unbothered, as long as it doesn’t disrupt his social calendar,” he added.

He called on the National Assembly and the Presidency to intervene and alleviate the suffering of Osun residents.

But in response, the Osun PDP spokesperson, Oladele Bamiji, absolved Governor Adeleke of any blame, alleging that the APC instigated the violence in a bid to force a declaration of emergency rule in the state.

He praised Adeleke’s decision to rely on legal means to address the dispute rather than escalating tensions.

“What the governor did was a temporary halt of physical activities at the local governments — a protective measure to safeguard lives and property. That is the hallmark of a responsible government,” Bamiji said.

He accused the APC of attempting to exploit the situation to regain control of the state by destabilizing local government administration.

“The APC planned to use the LG imbroglio to plunge Osun into chaos and push for a state of emergency. Adeleke’s approach prevented needless bloodshed,” he said.

Bamiji also urged President Bola Tinubu to ignore the APC’s call for intervention, describing it as a desperate move by a party still smarting from its defeat in the July 16, 2022 governorship election.

“They are bitter because another party now governs Osun. Their talk of ‘federal might’ and reliance on the President to validate their lawlessness is laughable,” he added.