The extended industrial action by the Osun State Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) continues to provoke a heated dispute, with both the union and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) trading sharp public statements on Wednesday over the crippled state of the judiciary.
The crisis, which has paralyzed all judicial activities for over 41 days since the indefinite strike began on September 19, 2025, is centered on staff grievances, including delayed promotions for 2024 and 2025, and various long-standing welfare concerns.
The APC, via a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, strongly criticized Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration, calling the prolonged strike an “epitome of failure” and alleging that the over-month-long halt of court activities violates citizens’ fundamental rights. The party declared that the absence of judicial power signifies “anarchy,” leaving the judiciary “paralyzed” and causing hardship for lawyers and citizens with pending cases.
The APC further charged the Adeleke administration with “governmental irresponsibility” for neglecting the constitutional crisis and the resulting security implications, claiming that lawlessness is taking hold and suspects are unjustly “languishing” in detention without trial.
In response, JUSUN, through its leader Comrade Idris Adedayo Adeniran, hit back at the APC’s claims, dismissing them as “political opportunism and hypocrisy.” The union insisted the strike is not political but a genuine demand for fair treatment, justice, and better welfare, specifically citing the delayed promotions.
Adeniran found the APC’s criticism “rich,” given what he called their own “failure to deliver.” He accused the opposition of exaggerating the situation and urged them to engage the judiciary authorities directly instead of politicizing the workers’ legitimate demands. He challenged the APC to “provide evidence of any government that has done more for the judiciary,” and called on them to instead pressure the Chief Judge to resolve the outstanding issues.
Looks like the judicial staff strike has turned into a proper political shouting match.
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