Ondo APC Governorship Aspirant Paul Akintelure Is Dead
Paul Akintelure, an All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for governor of Ondo, passed away.
Early on Tuesday, Alex Kalejaye, the APC's Ondo State spokesperson, verified the event over the phone with Channels Television.
Akintelure passed away a few days after raising the alarm about threats to his life, albeit the cause of his death is still unknown.
His spokesperson Oladapo Akintelure stated in a statement dated March 21 that, "at first, I hope these incidents would dissipate over time, but regrettably, they have escalated to pose a serious threat to my life."
"My will to defend what is just and moral is only strengthened by the threats made against me. I refuse to let fear determine how we move forward.
“Let us embrace peace, progress, and unity. Our collective strength lies in our to stand together as one, regardless of our differences.”
Alongside Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the late Akintelure ran for deputy governor of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2012.
He has previously run as an ACN candidate for the senate seat in Ondo South.
His hometown was Igbotako, in the Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State. He worked as a private physician in Lagos.
Paying Tributes to Paul Akintelure Akintelure
According to the APC, Paul Akintelure's passing had a significant impact on both the party's expansion and Nigerian democracy.
Meanwhile, condolences for the departed have already begun to arrive. The Ondo APC expressed its sorrow over Akintelure's passing.
"The dead was referred to by State Chairman Engr. Ade Adetimehin as a personal friend with whom he had a positive relationship over the years,
The head of the Ondo APC stated, "The State Chairman Engr. Ade Adetimehin said the news is shocking. He described the deceased as a personal friend, with whom he had a good relationship over the years."
The deceased political leader's contributions to the growth and stability of the APC chapter in Ondo State will never be forgotten. Akintelure was a highly polished and dependable political figure whose stance was that building the people and the land is the essence of being in politics.
The Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot Soldiers (LACO-FS) expressed their sadness and numbness at the death.
In a statement released through the LACO-FS State Director of Information Kayode Fasua, the organization's convener, Oladipupo Okeyomi, said, "We grieve for this sudden passage of our great leader Dr. Paul Akintelure whose contributions to not just APC but above all, party politics and democracy in Nigeria, cannot be quantified."
While expressing its condolences to the deceased's family, the campaign organisation said that it had cancelled its plans for the week in remembrance of the late leader.