As Ekiti Prays For Bamidele’s Gunshot Wounds Recovery, His Intriguing Link With Fayemi Revealed
The Oasis Reporters
June 4, 2018
Michael Opeyemi Bamidele who was shot by an illegal duty policeman at an APC rally in Ekiti State and was said to be in critical condition, has stabilized and is to be flown to Lagos in an Air Ambulance for further treatment.
Kenneth, the policeman that fired the shots which hit Opeyemi Bamidele and five others came from Lagos with one Tope Adebiyi from Oye Local Govt, an ally of Fayemi, who is interested in going to the House of Representatives.
The cop who fired the shot came to Ado Ekiti illegally by abandoning his duty post in Lagos of bank guard duties to accompany a politician to Ekiti State.
Bullets entered the victim through the stomach and came out from his back.
It all took place at the All Progressives Congress secretariat in Ajilosun, Ado-Ekiti, during a reception organised for the governorship candidate of the party, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
The Spokesperson of the Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Caleb Ikechukwu in an interview with Channels TV had confirmed that the Policeman that shot Opeyemi Bamidele was “not a fake policeman, he’s our officer but he was on illegal duty in Ekiti State.
“He was an officer posted as Guard at a Bank in Ikeja, Lagos but he illegally escorted a Politician to Ekiti State on illegal duty.
“The Politician came from Lagos to attend the rally. The politician has also been quizzed” He said.
Opeyemi Bamidele, a member of the seventh House of Representatives was a governorship aspirant in Ekiti .
Ekiti born Opeyemi Bamidele was Lagos State commissioner for Information and later, a member of the House of Representatives. His basic duty is to talk.
And talk he does.
He once boasted that in November 2013 that he made Fayemi, Ekiti State Governor.
He was then chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Honourable Opeyemi Bamidele has disclosed how he helped the Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi to realise his governorship ambition.
He chronicled how in an interview with Sunday Tribune, saying it was he, who introduced Fayemi to the national leader of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN), Bola Tinubu.
According to him, “I Michael Opeyemi Bamidele to the glory of God most humbly, can lay claim to the fact that I practically dragged him out of the PDP and took him to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to recommend him because there was a strong geo- political sentiment in Ekiti that the next governor of Ekiti should come from Ekiti North Senatorial District”.
On how he helped the current governorship candidate of the APC in Ekiti 2018 poll, he said, “Dr. Fayemi with due respect joined the defunct ACN party in 2006, six years after I had served as a national director of publicity of the party.
We recruited Fayemi from the PDP when we were trying to carry out some realignment of forces. Fayemi came to this country, and he was scuttling between London and Nigeria, he wasn’t coming to Lagos, he was coming to Abuja. I encouraged him to interact with us in ACN rather than the PDP.
“I practically dragged him down because the three of them who were our friends but, were coming home as members of the civil society, were coming into the Villa.
Dr Kayode Fayemi was writing presidential speeches in the Villa, writing all sorts of proposals in the Villa. Eventually Professor Ihonvbere got appointment as Special Adviser; eventually Dr Oby Ezekwesili who I respect so much got appointment as Senior Special Assistant and eventually as a Minister”.
Bamidele also told Vanguard News
that as far as EKITI 2018- APC Primary, was concerned, he was not stepping down for anybody and called such talk as “rumour” which was “laughable”.
But he did, and got shot for all his trouble.
“It is laughable that people are saying I have stepped down for Fayemi.
When Minister Fayemi was in government, I disagreed with him even as a sitting governor. I was brought up to speak truth to power, not minding whose ox is gored.
“It surprises me that they didn’t say I was fronting for Engr. Segun Oni or Senator Gbenga Aluko, because I am close to all these people. But, this is part of politics”.
The people of Ekiti wish Bamidele a speedy recovery.
Sources :
Tribune
Vanguard
In-house reporting
