One of the prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirants for the upcoming governorship election in Ondo State, Paul Akintelure, has reportedly died.
According to Vanguard, prior to his unfortunate demise, Akintelure had voiced his concerns regarding the various threats, both direct and indirect, that he had been facing.
However, despite his optimism that the alleged threats will subside and things will get better, Akuntelure, gave up the ghost as the date for the APC governorship primary election, set for April 25, drew near.
In a statement made available to journalists earlier through his spokesperson, Oladapo Akintelure, Akintelure said: “Initially, I hope these incidents would dissipate over time, yet regrettably, they have escalated to pose a serious threat to my life”
The threats against me only strengthen my resolve to stand up for what is right and just. I will not allow fear to dictate our path forward.”
The statement dated Thursday, March 21, 2023, added: “Let us embrace peace, progress, and unity. Our collective strength lies in our to stand together as one, regardless of our differences.”
Naija News understands that Akintelure, who hails from Igbotako in the Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, previously ran as the deputy governorship candidate for the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) alongside Rotimi Akeredolu, the former governor of Ondo State.
However, they were unsuccessful in their bid as Olusegun Mimiko, the Labour Party flagbearer at the time, emerged as the winner of the election.
Prior to this, Akintelure also contested the senatorial election against the candidate from the Peoples Democratic Party, but unfortunately, he was defeated.
This series of events unfolded during the lead-up to the Ondo governorship election, which was gaining momentum at the time.