The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday raised the alarm that Governor Babatunde Fashola and the other APC governors have been sponsoring the movement of persons to Osun State to cast votes for Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Lagos PDP said it has confirmed that Fashola has been supporting Aregbesola with the state’s resources including cash, buses, and personnel.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, the party described the pronouncement by the APC leadership that it’s chieftains should relocate to Osun State as a belated decoy to cover up the exposed plan of the party to storm Osun with “fake” voters.

Lagos PDP explained that the said movement of such persons are in two categories; first are contracted to go and merely vote; the second are “the boys of the Team Lagos contracted to cause mayhem during voting in the areas identified as weak APC area.”

The party also said Fashola had directed that all the 57 council chairmen should mobilise in all the 376 wards. It said, “Fashola particularly gave additional monies to council areas of Alimisho, Oshodi-Isolo, Ikorodu, Kosofe and Ojo for adequate mobilisation. A whopping sum of N7.6bn has been traced to this project.”

The party also alleged that the said movement of persons had been on before the Ramadan festival, adding that APC intends to use them to compromise the electoral process.

Lagos PDP said, “We have investigated and can now confirm that the APC is desperate to retain Osun State. They have been moving persons to Osun state to be used as voters. The modus operandi this time is to mobilise each voter with N10, 000. The council chairmen are neck deep in this electoral offence, especially the council areas of Alimosho, Oshodi-Isolo, Ikorodu, Ojo and Kosofe.”

Also, the Chairman of Osun PDP, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, said Aregbesola’s recent actions has shown he is desperate to hold onto power.

Olaoluwa said, “Out of desperation, this confused politician has suddenly realised the criminality of not remitting the government’s part of the contributory pension. Out of desperation, Aregbesola had credited each local government with N5m to settle outstanding claims, which he had denied councils for over two years. Out of desperation he had been using computer generated images of the Ido Osun proposed airport, Gbongan junction and other phantom projects.”

Reacting to the allegation, the spokesperson of the APC in Lagos, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, denied the allegation, saying they were in Osun to support Aregbesola’s campaign and not to vote or cause trouble.

He said, “You can’t buy people. The people of Osun State just love the man. Don’t mind people who are saying Lagos State government is bringing people to Osun. We just came here to support the governor and not to cause trouble.

“The allegation is a figment of their imagination. We were sitting down and they went through our back and stole Ekiti State. Do they think we will allow them steal Osun State. We don’t want that to happen again.”