•Stop Your Blackmail, Those Under Probe Collected Double Salaries – Govt Replies
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke of victimising local government workers who supported its gubernatorial candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
The APC, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, and obtained in Osogbo on Tuesday, alleged that the Local Government Service Commission has set up a committee to fish out workers who supported the party during the poll.
Reacting, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, dismissed the allegation, noting that those invited for questioning were being investigated for drawing double salaries.
But the opposition party claimed that affected workers have been invited to the state secretariat, Abere, to face an investigative and disciplinary panel where their phones would be searched to establish communication with APC members.
The statement read in part: “Information has it that the state Local Government Service Commission, under the chairmanship of Mr Tunji Adeleke Jnr, Governor Adeleke’s nephew, has inaugurated a committee saddled with the responsibility of fishing out the local government workers across the state who gave their support for the opposition APC party during the election.
“It was gathered that the perceived electoral offenders of the local government workers’ extraction are being invited to face the investigative and disciplinary panel at its venue in the Local Government Council Commission, State Secretariat, Abere.”
The APC said the action amounts to political surveillance and oppression, noting that Nigeria operates a secret ballot system and workers cannot be punished for their political choice.
It demanded the immediate reactivation of deactivated salary accounts and the disbandment of the committee.
“We urge Governor Adeleke to immediately reactivate all the local government staff accounts that have been deactivated for salary payment and put a stop to this sadistic approach to governance by dismantling the obnoxious committee,” the party said.
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Alimi in his reaction, said the investigation was triggered by a petition from workers alleging that some of their colleagues were collecting salaries from both the state government and the APC-backed local government chairmen, popularly called “Yes or No” chairmen.
He questioned why only local government staff would be targeted if the issue was political, adding that there are APC supporters among teachers and other public servants who have not been touched.
“The Civil Service Commission received a petition that some local government staff were collecting salaries from two ends. It has nothing to do with political affiliation. It has to do with discipline as per financial regulations, based on complaints from their own colleagues. Whoever has nothing to hide will be left off the hook,” Alimi said.
He maintained that Governor Adeleke has no history of witch-hunting workers for their political beliefs, stressing that anyone found culpable would be dealt with according to civil service rules.
“Adeleke will not witch-hunt anybody, but that does not mean that those who have been collecting two salaries simultaneously will be allowed to continue just because we don’t want anybody to criticise us,” the commissioner added.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
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