The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has accused the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of accepting a bribe to support Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election. According to a statement by Kola Olabisi, APC’s Director of Media and Information, the state government allegedly provided N172 million to labor leaders as an incentive to endorse the governor during the May Day celebration.
Olabisi claimed the sum was divided among the state labor factions, with N97 million reportedly allocated to the factionalized Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and N75 million each to both NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). He alleged that this financial inducement was intended to sway union leaders to publicly adopt the governor for a second term during the May Day event held at Fakunle Comprehensive High School in Osogbo.
Additionally, he claimed the administration distributed Ankara fabrics to all state workers, supposedly to create an illusion of widespread support for the governor at the event, despite accusations of declining popularity due to alleged governance failures.
Responding to the allegations, Trade Union Congress Chairman Bimbo Fasasi dismissed them as baseless. “Laughable! That’s all I can say. It is a cheap blackmail, baseless and unworthy of occupying public space for discussion,” he remarked via text message.
