THE Special Assistant on Media to Hon. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, Ahmed Salami, has dispelled the insinuation that he had been in coma since Friday evening when he was hit by bullets at the campaign rally organized for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, by the party.
Bamidele and six others were hit by bullets and sustained various degrees of injuries through gunshots fired by a policeman, which was allegedly drafted to maintain orderliness in the rally attended by mammoth crowd of party adherents and admirers of the governorship candidate of the party.
Salami, in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, said “though Bamidele immediately fell and passed out due to the trauma he suffered when the bullets suddenly pierced his abdominal region and leg.
“We appreciate his supporters and APC members across the state, said he had since regained consciousness.
“The way he fell in the full glare of the crowd and party supporters fueled the insinuation that he is still in coma.
“Let me assure our supporters in Ekiti and other concerned Nigerians that Bamidele not in coma. He has regained consciousness and fast recuperating due to prompt and intensive medical treatments he received thereafter.”
Salami confirmed that Bamidele has passed through major surgeries and the bullets have been removed from his abdominal region and leg.
While imploring the party’s supporters to be calm and be law abiding whilst the situation is under control, Salami noted that “the shooting was very unfortunate and unwarranted in view of the decorous and peaceful ways our people comported themselves from Akure, Ondo State capital via Ikere and to Ado Ekiti.
“We charge the police authorities to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the shooting and bring whoever that was complicit to justice for a country that has respect for the sanctity of human lives to be attainable.”