Osun workers, pensioners celebrate Adeleke’s victory

Workers and pensioners in Osun State on Monday took their celebration of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election to the state secretariat in Osogbo, where they described his victory as a reward for what they called his administration’s favourable disposition towards the workforce and pensioners.

The jubilant workers, who gathered in large numbers, turned the secretariat premises into a carnival of sorts, singing solidarity songs, dancing and chanting victory slogans in celebration of Adeleke’s return for a second term in office.

The celebration also provided an opportunity for organised labour to set out its expectations for the governor’s second term, even as the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027.

Speaking at the event, NLC Chairman in Osun, Comrade Christopher Arapasopo, said Adeleke’s victory was largely a reflection of the goodwill he had built among workers, pensioners and other residents through his administration’s welfare-oriented policies.

Arapasopo said the gathering was not only to celebrate the electoral victory but also to appreciate God and congratulate the people of the state for what he described as a successful exercise of their civic responsibility.

“Whatever Mr Governor is seeing today is just a result of his good deeds towards workers and pensioners. Welfarism is always a force as far as government is concerned,” he said.

The NLC chairman described the governor’s re-election as a victory for workers and pensioners, while urging Adeleke to remain committed to the promises he made during the election campaign.

He said the continued support of the workforce was based on the belief that the administration had given greater attention to workers’ welfare and the concerns of pensioners.

Arapasopo, however, used the occasion to make a political declaration, announcing that workers and pensioners in Osun would support President Tinubu’s second-term ambition in 2027.

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He recalled that he had earlier appealed to the President to ensure that the Osun governorship election was free and fair, expressing satisfaction that the people were allowed to exercise their franchise.

“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the entire labour in Osun State, workers and pensioners, we are supporting you for your second term because you have made us proud. We are with you, Asiwaju,” Arapasopo said.

Also speaking, the state Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Abimbola Fasasi, attributed Adeleke’s victory to what he described as divine favour and the goodwill the governor had accumulated during his first term.

Fasasi urged workers to reciprocate the administration’s support by improving their commitment and productivity, while calling on the governor to pay greater attention to the welfare of the workforce in his second term.

He specifically appealed for attention to workers’ housing, the settlement of outstanding obligations relating to the minimum wage for pensioners, timely promotion of workers and prompt implementation of any new minimum wage approved by the government.

The TUC chairman also expressed concern over the impact of inflation on workers, noting that the rising cost of living had significantly reduced their purchasing power and made sustained welfare interventions necessary.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Comrade Olamilekan Adediran, said Adeleke’s re-election reflected the satisfaction of workers and residents with his administration.

Adediran said the workforce had enjoyed what he described as an unusually favourable relationship with the government, particularly in the areas of workers’ welfare and attention to pensioners.

He urged the governor to consolidate on the achievements of his first term and introduce further measures capable of improving the living and working conditions of civil servants and pensioners.

The celebration later continued with singing, dancing and chants of solidarity, as the workers hailed Adeleke’s re-election and called for the sustenance of policies they believed had improved the relationship between the state government and the workforce.