Workers across Osun State have begun a three-day industrial action following a directive by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which is demanding the release of statutory allocations due to local government councils amid a prolonged dispute over council administration and access to public funds.

The strike commenced at midnight on Sunday, 8 November 2026, and is scheduled to end at midnight on Wednesday, 11 November.

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The action is intended to demonstrate solidarity with members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Osun State, whose welfare and working conditions have been affected by the funding dispute.

In a statement obtained in Osogbo on Sunday, the Osun NLC Chairman, Christopher Arapasopo, and Secretary, Victor Amusan, said the decision followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government and the Osun State Government.

The labour leaders maintained that the concerns raised in the ultimatum had not been addressed, leaving the congress with little choice but to proceed with the planned industrial action.

The decision was reached at an emergency meeting of the NLC State Executive Council held on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.

Explaining the rationale for the action, the congress said it had exhausted reasonable avenues for resolving the disagreement and directed all affiliated unions to participate in the three-day sympathy strike.

“Consequently, having exhausted all reasonable avenues and in accordance with the resolutions reached at the emergency meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) held on Wednesday, 28th October, 2026, all affiliate unions of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Osun State Council, are hereby directed to proceed on the three-day sympathy strike in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Osun State Council,” the statement read.

The NLC instructed its affiliate unions to notify their members formally and ensure compliance across workplaces throughout the state.

It also warned that unions found deliberately undermining the directive could face disciplinary measures under the congress’s regulations.

The labour organisation described the difficulties confronting local government employees as a collective concern for the entire labour movement, insisting that workers’ welfare and economic security should not be treated as the responsibility of one union alone.

The latest industrial action follows weeks of tension over the handling of statutory allocations intended for Osun’s local government areas.

The dispute has its roots in the prolonged political disagreement between the Peoples Democratic Party-led Osun State Government and the All Progressives Congress over control of local government administration.

The crisis intensified in February 2025 following disagreements over the legitimacy of council leadership after competing developments involving local government elections and court decisions.

The controversy centred partly on the October 2022 local government election, which produced APC chairmen and councillors, and a subsequent election conducted by the Osun State Government on 22 February 2025, which produced another set of council officials.

The disagreement over which administration should control the councils eventually triggered confrontations at several local government secretariats.

The violence of February 2025 resulted in multiple fatalities. The police confirmed six deaths, including that of Remi Abbas, the then APC-elected chairman of Irewole Local Government Area.

The political disagreement subsequently developed into a prolonged financial dispute, with statutory allocations meant for local governments reportedly remaining inaccessible in bank accounts amid the competing claims over council administration.

An investigation published by TheCable in November 2026 estimated that approximately ₦238.4bn in local government allocations had accumulated during the dispute.

The figure highlights the scale of the financial issues surrounding the crisis, although questions concerning access, control and accountability remain contested.

The state government has consistently argued that the funds should be released to the elected local government officials who emerged from the February 2025 election.

The APC, meanwhile, has maintained its position concerning the legitimacy of the earlier elected council officials and has challenged the handling of the dispute.

The Federal Government’s role in the continued withholding of the allocations has also come under scrutiny, with the NLC demanding intervention to resolve the matter.

Before announcing the strike, the Osun NLC had issued a seven-day ultimatum, warning that industrial action would follow if the relevant authorities failed to address the concerns of local government employees.

Radio Nigeria Ibadan reported on 31 October that the congress had also threatened peaceful picketing of United Bank for Africa branches across the state if the dispute remained unresolved.

The APC subsequently cautioned the labour organisation against proceeding with the planned strike and bank picketing, adding another dimension to the disagreement over the local government funds.

Meanwhile, the Osun State Government has previously said Governor Ademola Adeleke intervened by paying local government workers their net salaries without deductions, although the NLC maintained that such payments could not replace the regular release of statutory allocations.

For local government employees, the financial uncertainty raises broader concerns about administrative stability, workers’ entitlements and the ability of councils to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

The three-day sympathy strike therefore represents an escalation of pressure on the authorities, with the labour movement seeking a lasting resolution rather than temporary interventions.

As the industrial action continues, attention will be on whether the Federal Government and Osun State Government can find a way to resolve the competing claims over local government administration and restore access to the funds.

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For residents, the wider concern extends beyond the political disagreement. Local government councils remain an important tier of administration responsible for services and community-level development, making the resolution of the funding crisis significant to the everyday lives of people across Osun State.