Adeleke Declares Friday Work Free Ahead of Osun Election

(Ademola Adeleke of Osun State. Photo Credit: Oyo News)

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has declared Friday, August 14, to be a work-free day so that public employes can travel and participate in the governorship election on Saturday.

As he runs for a second term in office, the governor also urged employes, their families, and friends to cast large numbers of ballots and "defend their votes."

Olawale Rasheed, the governor's spokesperson, signed the statement containing the announcement on Wednesday.

The decision, according to the statement, was made in response to a directive from Ayanleye Aina, the Head of Service, stating that Friday should be designated as a work-free day so that employes could travel as needed and get ready for the election.

According to the announcement, "all categories of workers are covered by the work free day declaration except those on emergency and essential duties."

The announcement is made two days prior to the Osun governorship election, which is set for Saturday, August 15, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Adeleke, who is running for reelection, took the chance to exhort state employes to mobilize support for his administration at the polls.

The governor urged workers to organize unorganized laborers, craftspeople, and professional associations while assigning them the responsibility of casting ballots and making sure they are counted.

Additionally, he urged employes to back his administration's accomplishments over the previous three and a half years.

He declared, "We must defend the gains of the last three and a half years plus."

Adeleke said that his administration was "a workers friendly government" that has made progress in all areas and that workers should oppose any effort to bring the state back to its "dark days."

During his first term, he claimed, his government had maintained a "mutually beneficial relationship" with workers.

Adeleke has previously taken similar actions before to the election.

In order to make it easier for public employes to pick up Permanent Voter Cards before the election, the state government also announced a work-free day in July.

Adeleke's bid to keep his position as Osun's governor will be put to the test on Saturday.

Among Adeleke's most well-known opponents are Bola Oyebamiji of the APC and Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress.

The political stakes surrounding Adeleke's ambition for a second term and the APC's attempt to retake the state have made the contest highly followed.

According to recent reports, the election is fiercely competitive, and the importance of Saturday's poll is increased by political tensions and worries about potential violence.

Osun Guber Polls: Governor Adeleke Tasks Workers to Vote and Defend their Votes, Declares Friday Work Free

OSOGBO - 12/08/2026 - https://t.co/1YelPm223E

Governor Ademola Adeleke has declared Friday 14th of August as work free, to allow public service workers to participate in…

— Osun State Government (@Osun_State_Gov) August 12, 2026