OSOGBO — The Osun State Secretariat in Abere was brought to a standstill on Sunday as thousands of civil servants trooped out to celebrate Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the just concluded governorship election which returned him to Government House for a second term.
The atmosphere was electrifying from the early hours despite a light drizzle. Workers freely donned the yellow Imole caps, sang, danced and held greetings of congratulations in the air. Loudspeakers rented the air with music while groups of drummers thrilled workers across the busy Abere and GRA areas. The crowd kept growing steadily throughout the day.
Many workers who spoke with the press said they had earlier feared victimization and were unable to campaign openly for the governor. They alleged that the APC while campaigning made it clear that supporters of Governor Adeleke would be punished, describing the opposition’s posture as aggressive and intimidating, an outlook that made some workers afraid to wear Imole caps in public.
For them, the outcome of the election was a relief. They praised the Adeleke administration for being worker-friendly and said they were proud of themselves for “silently fighting back with their votes.”
Labour leaders addressed the crowd at intervals, leading chants and songs. One of the prominent chants was “Owo wo’gbo, 50 thousand, Owo wo’gbo” translated as “Money wasted, 50 Thousand, Money Wasted.” Another was “Emi nikan l’ooye, ko le ye enikankan. Idi ti mo fi nyin Baba, Emi nikan l’ooye.” translated as “I’m the only one who understands. No one can understand. The reason I am praising my Father, I’m the only one who understands.”
The Chairman of NUJ Osun Council, Comrade Dr. Adeyemi Aboderin, spoke to the crowd, congratulating them and urging them to remain steadfast and hardworking. He commended them for working assiduously to ensure the return of the governor who had been good to them, and assured that the opposition who are threatening to challenge the victory in court would do no harm as the vote margin clearly indicates the will of the people.
The Osun State President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Comrade Kehinde Ogunbangbe, described the victory as one for the entire labour movement in the state.
“So, thank you very much. Thank you so much. I I feel very, very great. I feel excited. I am elated. I am happy. Seriously happy today because this victory of Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, the victory is not his victory alone. It is the victory for the Labour movement in Osun State. Most especially the victory for NULGE, all the members of local government workforce in Osun State,” Ogunbangbe said.
He added that if the election had gone the other way, civil servants would have been in “terrible soup” because “the opposition party has already mastered what they will do for us.”
Ogunbangbe also linked the local government crisis in the state to the APC, saying “This issue you said was created by APC in this state. I made bold to say and I have been saying it, I will continue to say it. They created the issue in the local government because what they are fighting for is actually not their right.”
He further stated: “You can never rule anybody by force. They are not military officers. They are not military officers. We are under democracy and what is the definition of democracy? Democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people.”
The Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Osun State Chapter, Comrade Christopher Arapasopo, also addressed workers, returning glory to God for the victory.
“Today, the workers of Osun State, pensioners, are the good people of Osun State. We are out here to thank God and appreciate him for what he has done,” Arapasopo said.
He recalled past elections in Osun and said the pattern had repeated itself. “Adeleke, don’t be surprised. He is doing excellently well as far as welfare is in of workers and their packages are concerned. During his electioneering campaign before he came on board 2022, Governor Ademola Adeleke was specific about workers welfare. And today, we are happy to say the man is doing well.”
Arapasopo also appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying “If it were to be someone else, that election might have ended inconclusive.” He declared the support of organized labour in Osun for the president’s second term bid.
On the local government issue, he said “We want to stand on their earlier stand and I quote, I want to emphasize on the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court, the apex court in Nigeria, that the federal government and the Federal Attorney General of the Federation lacks the power to withhold the local government allocation of Osun State.”
He appealed to the federal government and the Accountant General of the Federation to release the funds, and urged respect for the Federal High Court judgment that the yes or no chairmen of APC have ceased to be in local government across the state.
Responding to allegations that labour leaders were more of Accord Party members than public servants, Arapasopo said “That is capital no. I don’t have any card that belongs to anyone of the parties. But ah, you know that as far as workers and pensioners are concerned, it is government in power.”
He concluded by urging workers to remain calm and expect better welfare, saying “Expect living wage, not minimum wage.”
As at the time of filing this report, the crowd remained at the secretariat awaiting the arrival of Governor Adeleke, who was believed to be receiving his certificate of return at the State INEC office.
