Organised Labour in Osun has warned President Bola Tinubu against taking the votes of workers, pensioners and their families for granted in the 2027 general election, insisting that their support cannot be guaranteed unless the Federal government resolves the lingering controversy over local government statutory allocations to the State.
The labour movement said its members are increasingly dissatisfied with the continued withholding of local government funds, warning that the situation could influence their political decisions ahead of the next presidential election.
The Osun State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Christopher Arapasopo, stated this in Osogbo on Monday while addressing journalists on behalf of Organised Labour.
Arapasopo spoke following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal and Osun State governments over the unresolved local government financial crisis.
He said the unions can no longer guarantee political support for Tinubu’s re-election while workers and pensioners continue to bear the consequences of the dispute, which they said has persisted since February 2025.
The labour movement expressed particular concern over the financial difficulties confronting local government employees, retirees and their dependents, insisting that their welfare should not be sacrificed for political considerations.
“For now, the Organised Labour in Osun State cannot guarantee the support and votes of workers, pensioners, and our families for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the unions declared.
They maintained that workers’ electoral support must be earned through concrete government actions capable of improving their living conditions and protecting their legitimate entitlements.
“Workers’ support is neither automatic nor unconditional; it must be earned through policies and actions that protect their welfare and dignity,” the statement added.
Although Labour acknowledged Governor Ademola Adeleke’s commitment to supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition, it insisted that the governor’s political preference cannot determine the position of workers in the State.
The unions said their primary responsibility is to defend the interests of their members, adding that the hardship resulting from the allocation controversy has made it impossible for them to remain indifferent.
Consequently, Organised Labour reaffirmed its decision to embark on a three-day sympathy strike in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), beginning at midnight on Sunday, November 8, and ending on Wednesday, November 11.
The industrial action followed the failure of the two levels of government to address the issues raised in the ultimatum issued on October 28, according to the labour movement.
Beyond the strike, the unions announced plans to embark on peaceful picketing of United Bank for Africa branches across Osun State over the controversy surrounding the local government accounts into which the disputed allocations were allegedly being paid.
They demanded the immediate release of outstanding local government funds into the appropriate accounts of constitutionally recognised local government administrations.
The labour movement also called for an end to further payments into the disputed UBA accounts, while demanding the protection and payment of workers’ cooperative deductions, allowances, pensions, gratuities and other outstanding entitlements.
While appealing to the Federal and Osun State governments to urgently find a lasting solution, Organised Labour said it remains willing to engage in dialogue but would not abandon its struggle for the rights, welfare and dignity of workers and pensioners.