- Governor Ademola Adeleke declared a work-free day for Osun public service workers ahead of the upcoming governorship election
- The Head of Service issued a circular covering all worker categories except those on emergency and essential duties
- The 2026 Osun governorship election will take place on Saturday, August 15, 2026, to elect the governor of the key southwest state
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Osogbo, Osun state – Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke has declared Friday, August 14, a holiday for civil servants across the state, giving them time to travel and prepare to cast their votes in the 2026 governorship election.
Legit.ng reports that the announcement came through a circular on Wednesday, August 12, signed by the Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina. According to the circular, the decision covers all categories of public workers except those performing emergency and essential services, who are expected to remain on duty.
Source: Instagram
Adeleke tasks workers to mobilise voters
In a pre-election message directed at the workforce, the Osun governor called on state employees to go beyond their own votes and actively bring in others. He asked workers to reach out to artisans, informal workers, and professional bodies, framing Saturday’s poll as a defence of the gains made over the past three and a half years of his administration.
The governor praised the labour leadership and workers for their support throughout his tenure, describing the relationship between his government and Osun workers as one that had been mutually beneficial.
“The time for action has come. As formal workers at state establishments, I task you to mobilise informal workers, artisans and professional bodies. We must remain strong in defence of our constitutional rights to vote and be voted for,” Adeleke said.
He added:
“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.”
The governorship election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, August 15, across polling units in Osun state. Nigeria’s main electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is in charge of the election.
Read the Osun government’s full statement on the latest holiday via its X (formerly Twitter) post below:
Source: Twitter
Read more on Osun election 2026
Osun election 2026: Uzodimma taunts Davido
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo, responded to comments made by Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, over the forthcoming Osun state governorship election.
Uzodimma told the singer to prepare to sign his uncle, Governor Adeleke, as a dancer after the poll.
Adeleke is a chieftain of the Accord, a party he joined in 2025.
Source: Legit.ng