By Isa Isawade
Workers in Osun on Monday shut down the state’s secretariat in Abere, Osogbo as civil servants trooped out to celebrate the victory of Gov Ademola Adeleke in the Saturday’s governorship election.
All roads leading to the secretariat were blocked with workers and Accord party supporters taking over the secretariat’s frontage and the Roundabout at Abere, along Osogbo-Gbongan Road, singing and dancing.
The atmosphere was electrifying from the early hours despite a light drizzle. Workers freely donned the yellow Imole caps, sang, danced and held greetings of congratulations in the air. Loudspeakers rented the air with music while groups of drummers thrilled workers across the busy Abere and GRA areas. The crowd kept growing steadily throughout the day.
Many workers who spoke with the press said they had earlier feared victimization and were unable to campaign openly for the governor. They alleged that the APC while campaigning made it clear that supporters of Governor Adeleke would be punished, describing the opposition’s posture as aggressive and intimidating, an outlook that made some workers afraid to wear Imole caps in public.
For them, the outcome of the election was a relief. They praised the Adeleke administration for being worker-friendly and said they were proud of themselves for “silently fighting back with their votes.”
Labour leaders addressed the crowd at intervals, leading chants and songs. One of the prominent chants was “Owo wo’gbo, 50 thousand, Owo wo’gbo” translated as “Money wasted, 50 thousand, money wasted.” Another was “Emi nikan l’ooye, ko le ye enikankan. Idi ti mo fi nyin Baba, Emi nikan l’ooye.” translated as “I’m the only one who understands. No one can understand. The reason I am praising my Father, I’m the only one who understands.”
The Chairman of NUJ Osun State Council, Comrade Adeyemi Aboderin, congratulated the workers and people of Osun for the victory and urged all to remain steadfast and hardworking.
He commended the gathering for “working assiduously to ensure the return of the governor who has been good to you. The opposition who are threatening to challenge the victory in court will do no harm as the vote margin clearly indicates the will of the people.”
The Osun State President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Kehinde Ogunbangbe, described the victory as one for the entire labour movement in the state.
“So, thank you very much. Thank you so much. I feel very, very great. I feel excited. I am elated. I am happy. Seriously happy today because this victory of Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, the victory is not his victory alone. It is the victory for the labour movement in Osun State, most especially NULGE and all the members of local government workforce in Osun State,” Ogunbangbe said.
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Osun State, Christopher Arapasopo, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for protection democracy by allowing the people’s will to prevail in the Saturday’s governorship election in Osun.
Arapasopo expressed his appreciation on behalf of all workers in Osun at the post-election celebration organised by Labour.
“The Bible and the Quran teach that good deeds should be rewarded, not repaid with evil. We express our appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our father who is a son of the soil, has proved to be a peace-loving leader whose role ensured that the Osun election concluded peacefully,” Arapasopo said.
