The Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Osun State, Alhaji Issa Adesiji Azeez, has defended the salary arrangement introduced during the administration of former governor Rauf Aregbesola, insisting that workers did not receive half salaries as widely claimed.

Azeez spoke on Monday while featuring as a guest on the Osun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Guest Platform, where he addressed issues ranging from the state’s economic history to security, employment and the forthcoming August 15, 2026 governorship election.

Speaking on the salary crisis experienced during Aregbesola’s administration, Azeez said the government faced severe economic challenges but was determined to avoid retrenching civil servants.

According to him, “a committee was established to find a solution acceptable to both government and labour representatives”.

He explained that the committee was chaired by Hassan Sunmonu, while former governor Adegboyega Oyetola as Chief of Staff to Rauf Aregbesola led the government side and the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji also served as a member.

“The committee resolved against laying off any civil servant. Workers on Grade Levels 1 to 7 received their full salaries, those on Grade Levels 8 to 12 received three-quarters of their salaries, while workers on Grade Level 13 and above, including politicians, received half salaries,” he stated.

Azeez maintained that describing the arrangement as payment of half salaries was inaccurate, adding that it was a salary modulation agreed upon by stakeholders.

“Aregbesola did not pay half salary but modulated salary as agreed by the civil servants,” he stated.

Azeez who was former Ilesa West local government council area chairman, also argued that Aregbesola’s decision protected jobs during the economic downturn and noted that the former governor continued to pay an additional month’s salary despite the financial difficulties facing the state.

On the ADC and Aregbesola’s political movement, the party chairman said the objective was to demonstrate the political value and influence of the former governor and his supporters.

“For the whole world to know Aregbesola’s worth and the worth of his followers,” he said.

Addressing the challenges confronting Osun State, Azeez identified insecurity as the most pressing concern.

“Security threat is the biggest challenge facing Osun State. The lives of youths are very paramount to the ADC,” he said.

The ADC chairman also expressed confidence that his party would emerge victorious in the August 15 governorship election and urged political parties and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the poll.

“Politics is like trading. The political parties should allow the people to decide peacefully.

“We are not for violence but we are bringing peace to the state. We appeal to both camps to emulate the ADC. You will never see any ADC member attacking anybody. We are lawful people and we are going to maintain it,” he said.

Commenting on the relationship between former governor Rauf Aregbesola and President Bola Tinubu, Azeez said Aregbesola had been active in politics before President Tinubu and played significant roles in the President’s political journey.

He, however, said any differences between the two leaders should be left with God.

He criticised the economic reforms of the current administration, describing their impact on citizens as unfavourable, while adding that the ADC had reserved 35 per cent of opportunities for youths and another 35 per cent for women.

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ebonyi State, has said it will clear all the elective positions in the 2027 general elections.

The party which described the opposition as scavengers looking for money to grab, said it remains a formidable force with credible candidates that will win all the positions.

Chairman of the party, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha stated this in Abakaliki, the state capital while speaking with reporters on Monday.

He opined that some of those contesting election in opposition parties were given tickets in the APC during the 2023 general election but failed woefully, arguing that they will still be defeated in 2027 as they are running under the opposition

“If my mind is made up in anything, it is made up. APC will win the 2027 general election in Ebonyi very comfortably.

“All the people making noise saying they are contesting in other parties were given APC tickets before and they contested and lost.

“You contested election in the ruling party and lost. And now you want to go and try in opposition. They are all scavengers and what they are looking for is the money that will drop for their ambition. None of them is serious.

“We now have credible candidates for the next general election,” he stated.

On the insinuation in some quarters that some candidates of the APC for the general election have been dropped, Emegha urged the general public to disregard the propaganda and rumours.

He disclosed that the candidates remain those declared by the committees that conducted the party’s primaries who were sent from the national secretariat of the party.

“It is solely the responsibility of the party to write and forward cleared candidates of a party to INEC and I have done that.

“The state met severally and agreed on the candidates to file for the general election and we filed those candidates.

“The governor who is the leader of the party had a meeting with stakeholders of the state and people like Chief Martin Elechi were in the meeting till 10:00 pm in the night and the stakeholders agreed on candidates that will contest the election.

“That day was the final day it was concluded. So, very soon, the national secretariat will publish candidates of our party.

“If you had listened very well on the radio, you have heard the names of those that I, the state chairman of APC, congratulated for emerging candidates of our great party.

“If you were following up our party activities including the primaries, you would have seen that the committee that came to conduct our primaries declared all the results of APC primaries here in the state and it was done on camera. So, nothing changes it,” Emegha added.

The Federal High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, has adjourned until July 1, 2026, for the definite hearing of a suit seeking the nullification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship primary election in the state.

Justice Mashkur Salisu ordered the adjournment on Monday following the alleged failure of the defendants to file and serve their statements of defence.

The suit was filed by an APC chairmanship aspirant, Abdulhadi Lau, who is challenging the conduct and outcome of the party’s primary election.

Lau is asking the court to invalidate the exercise, alleging that he was unlawfully excluded from participating despite purchasing the party’s nomination forms and meeting all the requirements to contest the position.

According to the claimant, he completed all the necessary procedures and was duly qualified for the primary election but was denied the opportunity to participate in the process without any valid explanation.

He contended that his exclusion violated his constitutional rights and undermined the principles of internal democracy within the party.

Through his legal team, Lau urged the court to intervene and ensure that justice is served, arguing that allowing such actions to stand could set a dangerous precedent for the country’s democratic system.

He further appealed to the judiciary to protect the integrity of the electoral process, maintaining that the exclusion of qualified aspirants from party primaries threatens democratic governance.

During Monday’s proceedings, counsel informed the court that the defendants had yet to file their statements of defence, prompting Justice Salisu to adjourn the matter until July 1 for a definite hearing.

The court is expected to hear arguments from all parties on the adjourned date as the legal challenge over the APC chairmanship primary election in Taraba State continues.