Security agencies in Nigeria’s Osun State have been placed on high alert ahead of a major labour protest scheduled for March 24, 2026, in the state capital, Osogbo. The demonstration, organised by the Joint Labour Movement—which includes the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC)—is set against a protracted dispute over the control of local government funds.
The warning was issued in a statement by the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, urged police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to monitor the situation closely and act swiftly to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The core of the conflict centres on federal allocations to local governments. Since 2025, these funds have been withheld by a bank following a stalemate over which officials—reinstated council leaders or the state government—have authority to operate the accounts. The Osun State Government opposes the control asserted by the reinstated council officials.
The APC alleges that organisers have instructed the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to mobilise participants from across the state’s local government areas. The party claims the unmanaged protest risks disrupting banking operations and broader commercial activity in Osogbo.
Furthermore, the APC statementasserted the planned protest follows recent engagements between labour leaders and officials of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration. As of Saturday, neither the Osun State Government nor the labour unions had publicly contradicted the APC’s allegations.
The upcoming protest underscores deep-seated tensions over local governance and fiscal federalism in Osun. Security deployments now aim to ensure the scheduled demonstration does not escalate into wider civil unrest, while the underlying financial dispute remains unresolved.
