After extensive deliberations, both parties agreed that the outstanding two-month wage award would be paid on or before August 15.

The Minister also assured labour leaders that the Federal Government would facilitate the payment of the long-awaited 40 per cent peculiar allowance through a supplementary budget.

According to the resolution, the Ministry of Finance will work with the Budget Office to secure the necessary funding for the allowance.

The meeting also revisited the issue of outstanding promotion arrears, with government agreeing that payment processes for batches seven and nine had been resolved.

Speaking during the meeting, the Minister emphasized the need for continuous engagement with organised labour to strengthen cordial working relationships with union leaders and ensure timely resolution of workers’ welfare issues.

Earlier, Kabiru Ado, who represented the National Chairman of the JNPSNC, Benjamin Anto Uyanto, mni, reassured the Minister of the council’s commitment to protecting workers’ interests.

He said the JNPSNC remained ready “to ensure workers welfare are not subjugated.”

In his remarks, the National Secretary of the JNPSNC, Olowoyo Gbenga, said the intervention of the union leadership was aimed at preventing an industrial crisis.

He said, “The action of the National leadership of JNPSNC was to prevent National embarrassment to the Federal Government because workers were ready to occupy the Office of the Honourable Minister spontaneously.”

He further urged government officials and agencies to honour agreements reached with workers and improve communication with labour unions.

According to him, “Government officials and agencies of government should always implement decisions and promises to workers without any collapse in communication channels to avoid insinuations.”

He also explained the reason behind the ultimatum earlier issued to the Minister’s office, saying, “The inability of the Honourable Minister of Finance office to respond to our various correspondences led to the ultimatum issued to the Honourable Minister’s office.”

Speaking after the meeting, Olowoyo announced that the August 11 ultimatum had been suspended following the agreements reached with the government.

He said, “With the successful meeting with the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, the ultimatum of August 11th issued ab initio has been suspended.”

However, he warned that organised labour would closely monitor the implementation of the resolutions reached at the meeting.

According to him, “The leadership of JNPSNC, Trade Union Side, will monitor the implementation of our resolutions at the meeting; any iota of failed implementation, workers will not hesitate to picket the Office of the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy without any ultimatum.”

“The invitation is premised on information in possession of the Nigeria Police alleging that during your address at the aforementioned programme, you made statements considered to be threatening, inciting and intimidating in nature, and the statement has already been in circulation on various electronic and social media platforms,” the document reads.

‘I MEANT KILL THEM WITH VOTES’

In a video shared on X on Tuesday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) senator, who spoke in Yoruba, asked supporters to lynch members of the Accord Party.

“From now on, whenever you see Accord members, kill them. I authorise you to kill them. They have wives and children too,” Fadahunsi had said.

In a swift reaction to the backlash generated by the viral video, Fadahunsi attempted to retract his comments, stating that his words were misinterpreted.

The senator’s team said his viral comment was “a call on supporters to overwhelmingly reject the Accord Party at the ballot box through lawful, peaceful and democratic means during the August 15 governorship election”.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Senator’s statement was purely political and metaphorical,” his team said in a statement titled “Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence”.

The incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election under the banner of the Accord party, has repeatedly accused the APC of deploying thugs to attack and kill his supporters.

“For the number of ad-hoc staff, INEC will be pulling from a pool of over 30,000 NYSC members that we’re working with for the election,” he said.

He also disclosed that 2,339,233 voters were registered in Osun State, but said he did not have the latest figure for voters who had collected their Permanent Voter Cards following the extension of the PVC collection exercise.

“Meanwhile, 2,339,233 voters are registered in Osun. So, I’m not sure, you know, we extended PVC collection. I don’t have the data of the number of PVC collected, you know, but for eligible voters, these are the people who are eligible to vote, 2,339,233,” he said.

On the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, Oketola said the materials were already in the state, assuring that deployment to local government areas and Registration Area Centres will begin on Thursday.

While explaining the commission’s logistics arrangements ahead of the election, Oketola said the commission would not disclose when the sensitive materials arrived in Osun for security reasons, stressing that they were already warehoused at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Right now, sensitive materials are already in Osun. Nobody will tell you when materials arrived Osun. What is most important is that they have arrived. You see, logistics is complex,” he stated.

He said the sensitive materials, including ballot papers, would be moved from the CBN to the local government offices on Friday, in line with the commission’s standard procedure.

“Well, that is the standard, by Thursday we start moving non-sensitive and I mean the remaining non-sensitive materials. The sensitive materials that are ballot papers and all of that will be moved on Friday from the CBN to the local government offices,” he said.

“The police, security agents, electoral officers will be invited to the CBN where sensitive materials such as ballot papers and BVAs will be distributed and moved to the local government offices.

“So, by Friday, RAC centres will open, sensitive materials will move to the RACs and non-sensitive materials will also be moved, including ad hoc staff and security agents. This is including all the vehicles that will move them on election day.”

Oketola said the arrangement was designed to ensure that personnel and materials were deployed on Election Day in time for the commencement of polling.

“This is to ensure that we are able to deploy men and materials on Election Day and then polling gap opens by 8.30am.”

He said the commission was also deploying generators, water tanks and other equipment to the state, noting that the materials could not all be transported at the same time.

“We are going to deploy generators in their numbers to Osun, They are going to deploy water tankers, I mean, water tanks and all sorts of materials, including sensitive materials. These things cannot get to Osun on the same day.”

Oketola said the sensitive materials, including ballot papers and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, had been secured at the CBN, adding that disclosing details of their movement could expose them to security risks.

“The sensitive materials, which are very critical, are warehoused in the CBN. Nobody in any country can tell you that this was when they brought them there. Do you know why? Do you know the number of printers they used? Would they be able to deliver all on the same day?”

He added, “This is logistics. And of course it is also about security. If we tell the public, I will tell you where and when they will be moved. Don’t you know they can be ambushed? So, what is most important is that those things are already in Osun.”

25,310 security personnel

No fewer than 25,310 security personnel have been deployed to Osun ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, with the police, NSCDC and EFCC deploying personnel to secure the poll.

The deployment comprises 15,000 police officers, 10,210 NSCDC personnel and about 100 EFCC officers, according to separate announcements by the agencies.

The security build-up comes as 14 political parties prepare to contest the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

Among the candidates, three have emerged as prominent contenders based on their political strength and visibility: incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress and Najeem Salam of the African Democratic Congress.

On Monday, the NSCDC Commandant-General, Prof. Abubakar Audi, ordered the deployment of 10,000 personnel from 10 neighbouring state commands to reinforce security operations across Osun.

The personnel are being drawn from the Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos, Kwara, Edo, Kogi, Delta and Federal Capital Territory commands, with about 1,000 personnel from each command.

The deployment will complement the corps’ existing personnel in Osun and cover the state’s 30 local government areas, including polling units, electoral officials, observers, journalists and residents.

NSCDC spokesman, Afolabi Babawale, said specialised units, including the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad, Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Specialized Female Squad, Mining Marshals, Special Strike Force, Crack Squad and K9 Unit, had also been deployed.

He said the units would support intelligence gathering, crime prevention, protection of critical infrastructure, crowd control and other election-related operations.

The NSCDC said its Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Operations, Ayuba Phillip, alongside designated Assistant Commandant-Generals and other senior officers, would relocate to Osun to supervise the corps’ election security operations.

Audi charged personnel to remain professional, neutral and respectful of citizens’ rights throughout the election.

He said, “As an agency saddled with the responsibility of protecting critical infrastructure and national assets, the safety and security of election materials and electoral officials are very critical alongside the electorates.

“You have the responsibility of ensuring unbiased synergy with other security agencies on election duty to actualize a free, fair and credible election.