Osun strike ends January 2026 amid ALGON conflict

Tension has escalated in Osun State after rival leaders of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) issued conflicting statements about the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees’ (NULGE) decision to end an 11‑month strike and resume work on 5 January 2026. The strike, which began in February 2025, was triggered by disputes over the reinstatement of All Progressives Congress (APC)‑elected council officials by court order.

ALGON Chairman Samuel Idowu Abiodun, aligned with the APC, warned security agencies of possible breaches of peace across the state’s 30 local government areas. He claimed NULGE’s announcement to resume work was a “guise to cause chaos” and insisted that the APC‑elected chairmen and councillors remain the constitutionally recognised occupants of the councils pending a final court determination.

In contrast, Sarafadeen Abiodun Awotunde, Executive Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government and ALGON, rejected Abiodun’s claims, describing his leadership as self‑acclaimed. Awotunde argued that NULGE’s directive for workers to return was lawful and constitutional, emphasizing that local government employees have the right to access their workplaces without obstruction.

The Osun State chapter of the APC also weighed in, accusing NULGE of overstepping its authority by attempting to dictate conditions for the resumption of work. The party said NULGE has become “needlessly involved in partisan politics” and is acting as an extension of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s political camp. While welcoming the January resumption, the APC said the attached conditions were illegal and contemptuous, insisting that employees cannot choose which council executives they will work with and warning that enforcing conditional resumption could threaten public peace.

Security agencies have been urged to remain alert and protect workers who wish to resume without being tied to any conditionalities. The Federal High Court in Osogbo is expected to rule on the tenure of the APC‑reinstated chairmen and councillors, a matter that remains contentious. Consequently, the resumption of work by local government employees is set for 5 January 2026 amid heightened tensions and competing claims from rival ALGON leaders.