With just days to go before Osun State residents head to the polls, Governor Ademola Adeleke has given public servants across the state a breather, declaring Friday, August 14, a work-free day.
The announcement came through an official circular signed by the state’s Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina, and shared by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on X on Wednesday. The idea behind the move is simple: give workers enough time to travel home if they need to and get ready to exercise their voting rights when the election holds on Saturday.
The directive applies to all categories of public workers, though those on emergency and essential duty will still be expected to report as usual, since some services simply can’t pause even for an election.
Beyond granting the day off, Adeleke used the moment to rally Osun workers and their families to come out in large numbers on election day, urging them not just to vote but to stay and protect their votes to ensure his administration gets another term. He also took time to appreciate the state’s labour leadership and rank-and-file workers for standing by his government, describing the relationship between his administration and Osun’s workforce as one built on mutual benefit.
“The time for
action has come. As formal workers at state establishments, I task you to mobilise informal workers, artisans and professional bodies,” Adeleke said in his message to workers ahead of the poll.He didn’t stop there, pushing residents to hold firm and defend their constitutional right to vote and be voted for, framing Saturday’s election as a chance to protect what his government has achieved over the past three and a half years.
“We must remain strong in defence of our constitutional rights to vote and be voted for,” he said, adding that Osun people should guard against anything that could threaten those gains.
According to the governor, his administration has stayed true to workers throughout his time in office, and he’s not ready to see that progress reversed. “We must defend the gains of the last three and half years plus. Ours is a workers-friendly government which has delivered across board to labour and Osun people. We cannot and must not allow a return to dark days,” he said.
With Saturday’s election fast approaching, all eyes are now on how the process unfolds and whether Osun’s workers will heed the governor’s call to turn out and defend their votes.
#OsunElection2026 #Adeleke #OsunDecides #Nigeria #NigeriaElections #OsunState #WawaReporters
