Ekiti APC shooting: Bamidele moved to Lagos

FOLLOWING his shooting at a rally by his party, on Friday, chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former member of the House of Representatives, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, has been moved to Lagos for further treatment.

A statement by his media aide, Mr Ahmed Salami, on Sunday, denied claims in some quarters that he was being flown abroad for further treatment, saying his boss was recovering well after a surgery in Ado Ekiti but had to be moved to Lagos.

Salami disclosed in the statement that his principal “has been moved to Lagos for treatment as a follow up to the surgeries he undertook for the gunshot wounds he sustained during a rally organised for Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Friday.”

After he was shot in the stomach and in the leg, he was treated at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado Ekiti, where he was treated and operated on to remove the bullets.

However, a claim in a statement by the spokesperson of Kolapo Olusola Campaign Organisation (KOCO), Lere Olayinka, was that Bamidele was to be flown abroad and that the chopper to ferry him out of Ekiti was on hand at Christ’s Scool field, in Ado Ekiti.

Olayinka had also claimed in an earlier statement, on Saturday, that Bamidele was in a critical condition, saying “Let’s pray for MOB” as he was allegedly to be flown abroad.

But Salami warned against playing politics with the incident, saying “the sordid scenario surrounding the shooting of Hon Opeyemi Bamidele should not be deployed for morbid politicking the writer of this wicked misinformation is widely known for.”

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But on Sunday, Salami said: “Bamidele was flown to Lagos aboard an air ambulance chopper with registration number 5N-BSW belonging to Flying Doctors Nigeria, which landed at about 3.05pm at Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti metropolis.

“Though Bamidele’s health has stabilised appreciably, but there was a need for him to go for post-surgery treatments to ensure quick convalescence for him to be able to join Dr. Fayemi’s campaign train, of which he has been playing a pivotal role.

“We want to assure our teeming supporters to discountenance the misinformation by rumour peddlers that his health had relapsed. He is in a stable condition and people are already having unfettered access to him at EKSUTH before he left for Lagos.”

According to Bamidele’s media aide, “Dr. Fayemi and his wife Bisi, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN); Chief Segun Oni, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Dr. Wole Oluleye, Victor Kolade and several other bigwigs in APC circle, including ordinary members of his party were allowed access to him on the sick bed, confirming the appreciable level of his stability before being allowed to be taken out of the state.”

On why he was taken out of the state, Salami said: “As much as we salute the proficiency and commitment of the Doctors in the hospital, let me also add that many of the consultants and equipment used in performing the surgery were hired from other hospitals.

“To forestall a situation whereby we have to rely on bringing equipment that was readily available in other hospitals down to Ekiti to treat him, we decided to shift him to such hospital to fast-track his recuperation.”

At a welcome rally organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for its governorship candidate for the July 14 election, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Bamidele and five other persons were shot, when a policeman mishandled his rifle and released sporadic gunshots into the crowd.