The resumption of Local government workers in Osun State after eleven months has raised hopes of a return to grassroots governance
This may however be short-lived as only the chairmen and councillors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC elected under the Oyetola administration were seen at the Osogbo, and Ede council secretariats visited by AIT on Friday.
This development however suggests that the long-standing local government crisis in the state may be far from being over.
Following a directive by the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, council staff returned to work on January 5, 2026, ending nearly a year-long industrial action sparked by security and political concerns.
While the resumption was largely peaceful, the continued occupation of council secretariats by APC-elected officials has reignited debates over who legitimately controls local government administration in the state.
APC maintains that the tenure of its elected council officials, who assumed office in October 2022, did not end in October 2025, arguing that interruptions occasioned by litigation extended their stay.
The Osun State Government says the matter remains before the courts and has cautioned against actions capable of escalating tensions and likely to breach public peace.
As legal interpretations continue to differ, residents of the state are left waiting for a definitive resolution to a crisis that continues to cast a shadow over grassroots governance in Osun State.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
