The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has instructed its members to resume duties across local government councils from January 5, 2026, following an 11-month strike.
The strike began on February 18, 2025, triggered by violent clashes in Osun State arising from a leadership tussle between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over control of local government councils, resulting in killings and injuries.
Subsequently, APC-backed executives were reinstated, and the Federal Government released withheld allocations into local government accounts. While most legal disputes between the parties have been resolved, a pending suit on tenure elongation filed by APC members remains unresolved.
In a statement signed by NULGE President Kehinde Ogungbangbe, the union emphasized the need for adequate security to ensure the safety of workers as they return to councils, area offices, and LCDAs.
“To safeguard the lives of our members, we had no option but to vacate the premises. However, after extensive internal deliberations, the union has resolved that members should resume work on Monday, January 5, 2026. We hereby request the deployment of sufficient security personnel to all 30 local government councils, area offices and LCDAs to prevent violence and ensure a safe working environment,” the statement read.
NULGE also stressed that APC-reinstated chairmen should recognize the expiration of their tenure, noting that their legal term ended on October 30, 2025. The union highlighted that local government secretariats can be effectively managed by the Head of Local Administration, Director of Administration & General Services, and Director of Finance under the Osun State Local Government Accounts Administration Law 2025.
The union urged security agencies to prevent intimidation, harassment, or disruption of lawful duties and to ensure neutrality while protecting public servants. NULGE warned that failure to provide security could be used as evidence of alerting authorities to potential dangers.
