Shooting: Ekiti APC suspends campaigns

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has suspended campaigns for its governorship candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi.

The state chairman of the party, Chief Jide Awe, who made this known,  insisted that the shooting that took place within its secretariat, in Ado Ekiti on Friday, was an attempt on the life of its candidate in the July governorship election.

The APC addressed a news conference on Saturday and claimed that the policeman that released the shots that injure, Mr Michael Opeyemi Bamidele and six others at a reception for Dr Fayemi, was not known to the party and must be investigated.

Awe, who addressed newsmen, said the party had decided to suspend campaigns for now until the security situation improved, and it was sure there were grounds to believe that all was well regarding the security of life and property in the state.

He said “we want to put adequate security in place. We want to govern living people, not dead people. We want to ensure that when we go out with security men, we want to know who they are.”

On whether the decision would not affect the chances of his party in the election, Awe said “as politicians we are not new to the people and the election is July 14th. So, we have our strategies towards the election but we must put adequate security in place.”

Reacting to a statement by the Ekiti Police Command that the erring policeman came to Ekiti with a politician from Lagos, the APC Chairman said “he may be our member from Lagos, but we do not know him.”

The Ekiti APC Chairman said “our claim was that the man who fired the shot was a fake policeman and a paid agent with a mission to kill our governorship candidate and the police said he was from MOPOL 20 but on illegal duty in Ekiti.

“So, what the police need now is to convince us about the veracity of their claim.”

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Shooting was acidental discharge —Police

The Police in Ekiti State have announced that the erring policeman in the Ekiti APC rally shooting and the politician that he accompanied to Ekiti have been arrested.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Caleb Ikechukwu, said the police agreed that the policeman accidentally shot Opeyemi  Bamidele and others at the rally.

According to him, the policeman came from Lagos on illegal duty in Ekiti.

Chukwuemeka said: “The policeman is attached to 20 PMF, Ikeja, Lagos State where he was posted on bank guard duties somewhere in Ikeja. The policeman came on illegal duty to Ekiti State.

“A politician, who conspired and removed the said policeman from where he was posted by his squadron Commander and came to Ado-Ekiti with him for an unofficial reasons has also been arrested.”

The police spokesman, however, refused to name the politician.

 

Bamidele not in coma, recuperating —Aide

Bamidele is not in coma but is recuperating from the injuries and trauma after being shot, on Friday, said his aide.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Ahmed Salami, said it was to “dispelled the insinuation that he had been in coma since Friday evening when he was hit by bullets at the rally organised for Dr Kayode Fayemi, by the party.”

The statement against the backdrop of speculation that he might be flown abroad in an air ambulance following complications arising from his health condition.

Salami said in the statement that “Bamidele and six others were hit by bullets and sustained various degrees of injuries through gunshots fired by a policeman drafted to maintain orderliness at the rally attended by mammoth crowd of party adherents and admirers of the governorship candidate of the party.”