A video has emerged showing how the bloody shooting from Fayemi's rally happened.
While kicking off his campaign for the July 14 Ekiti gubernatorial election, the flag bearer of the All Progressives' Congress (APC), Dr Kayode Fayemi was the victim of an alleged assassination attempt on Friday, June 1, 2018.
That was the initial report from the APC camp after a police officer pulled the trigger at the campaign rally of the former minister. As a result of the shooting, a former House of Representatives member, Opeyemi Bamidele, suffered gunshot injuries with at least five others injured.
After the initial chaos over the shooting settled, the Ekiti State Police Command clarified that the shooting was an "accidental discharge" from the rifle of the unnamed police officer who has since been dismissed.
Reliable reports have indicated that the accidental shooting was a result of a struggle between the officer and unknown thugs at the venue of the rally.
In a video that has now emerged on the internet, that report appears to be the accurate account as it shows how the shooting started. The video was posted by Lere Olayinka, the Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, who has denied involvement in any assassination plot as earlier alleged.
In the video, Fayemi and Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, could be seen departing the APC secretariat in Ado Ekiti backed by security operatives amid a throng of eager supporters.
A few seconds into the video, just a few meters away from Fayemi and Akeredolu, the officer can be seen engaged in a physical struggle surrounded by a few unknown men who were shuffling him around in the crowd.
Even though the shooting was described as 'accidental', the officer appeared to have deliberately discharged his firearm to get the crowd off his back.
Watch video below:
The Ekiti State Police Command has revealed that the police officer was attached to Mopol 20, in Lagos, and had been illegally assigned at the rally by a House of Representatives aspirant in the APC, Tayo Adebiyi, who has also been arrested.
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Even though some have alleged that Adebiyi brought the officer to assassinate Fayemi and destabilise the party, his campaign organisation's director general, David Ayeni, said he duly applied for the police guard out of concern for his own safety and without ulterior motives.
Ekiti gubernatorial election
The July 14 election is expected to be a straight battle between Fayemi and and Fayose's deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Fayemi was Ekiti state governor between 2010 and 2014 before he was defeated by Fayose during his re-election attempt.