Osun APC, NLC Trade Accusations Over Threats, Strike Action

The Osun State branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have engaged in a war of words concerning the ongoing industrial dispute involving the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

On Saturday, Kola Olabisi, the Osun APC Director of Media and Information, issued a statement accusing the State Chairman of the NLC, Christopher Arapasopo, of concocting threats to his life, labeling him a traitor to Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration.

The party charged Arapasopo with spreading falsehoods and acting counter to the interests of local government employees.

“We are vindicated by Arapasopo’s failure to refute his involvement with women of questionable character, frequenting hotels and eateries, accompanied by armed Amotekun corps under the pretense of security concerns,” the APC statement asserted.

“If Arapasopo’s purported reason for hindering NULGE’s return to work is due to life-threatening security issues, why has he not deemed it necessary for state workers to also embark on strike?” the statement continued.

The APC urged Arapasopo to address pressing matters such as unpaid pensions, gratuities, and the poor welfare of judiciary workers, accusing him of acting as a spokesperson for the state government.

In a prior statement, NLC Chairman Arapasopo refuted the allegations, maintaining that the threats to his life were genuine and tied to the APC’s alleged intolerance of dissent.

“The intimidation is related to our position opposing legal and constitutional violations in Osun State,” he declared.

He alleged that APC members had previously invaded local government secretariats, vandalized property, and terrorized communities, justifying the ongoing strike action by NULGE members.

“Given their awareness of my movements and routine, it is evident they are monitoring me, which is deeply unsettling considering their past conduct,” Arapasopo claimed.

The labor leader dismissed allegations of being sponsored by Governor Adeleke, branding them as pitiful and blatant attempts to undermine his credibility.

Arapasopo accused the APC of perpetuating hardship during its previous administration and urged workers to disregard the APC’s claims, as they were designed to entice them back into peril.