The organised labour in Osun State has denied allegations by the All Progressives Congress, (APC) that the palliative received from the state government was a strategy to influence workers and induce them to vote for the ruling Accord Party in the August 15 governorship election.
The labour, comprising active workers and pensioners, said the palliative was a response to its request for financial relief to cushion the impact of the economic hardship in the country.
The workers made their position known on Monday during a protest at the Osun State Government Secretariat, Abeere, where they displayed placards with inscriptions including, “Osun Pensioners and Workers Are Not For Sale,” “Your Vote Is Your Right,” and “Monitor Your Votes.”
Speaking on behalf of the organised labour, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Osun State, Comrade Christopher Arapasopo, said the workers approached the state government to request the palliative because of the economic difficulties confronting workers and pensioners.
Arapasopo said the organised labour formally wrote the state government on April 8, 2026, requesting the intervention to cushion the effects of the economic hardship.
According to him, the workers initially requested N20,000 as palliative, but the state government eventually approved N10,000.
He said, “On April 8 this year, the organised labour wrote the current state government to request a palliative for workers. We demanded the palliative in order to cushion the effect of the economic struggle in Nigeria.
“We demanded N20,000, but when we had a meeting with the governor, he said he would pay N10,000. It is not a crime to have a governor who is workers-friendly. It is not a crime to have a governor who believes workers and pensioners should enjoy their lives.”
The labour leader therefore rejected the claim that the payment amounted to vote-buying, insisting that the workers themselves requested the financial intervention.
He urged political parties seeking to take over the state government to follow due process and allow workers, pensioners and other residents to freely exercise their franchise.
Arapasopo also expressed concern over alleged attacks and violence in parts of the state ahead of the governorship election, accusing security agencies of failing to adequately address the situation.
“Everyone here is Osun organised labour. We are here to register our displeasure over the happenings in Osun. It is not far from the truth that thugs have been going around shooting here and there and the police who are supposed to do their duty are doing nothing,” he said.
Arapasopo also urged political actors to respect the rights of workers, pensioners and other residents to make their own decisions at the ballot box, stressing that their votes should not be taken for granted.
He called on the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of residents and protect the right of citizens to vote without intimidation.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the Osun State Government on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, disbursed another round of palliatives to civil servants across the state.
The state government said the payment was aimed at improving workers’ welfare and cushioning the impact of prevailing economic challenges.
The spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, said the intervention was part of the administration’s commitment to supporting public servants.
“As part of our commitment to civil servants of Osun State, the backbone of our administration, we have once again disbursed palliatives to augment their salaries,” Rasheed said.
The disbursement, however, sparked allegations of vote-buying from the APC, which accused the state government of using the payment to influence workers ahead of the August 15 election.
The controversy was further heightened by by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) decision to freeze the state government’s account, a development that attracted condemnation and reactions from political watchers.
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