Regrettably, Paul Akintelure, a prominent governorship hopeful of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, has passed away.
Before his tragic demise, Akintelure had expressed concerns about facing threats to his life, both direct and indirect.
Akintelure in a statement released by his spokesperson, Oladapo Akintelure, on Thursday, March 21, 2023, 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.
“Let us embrace peace, progress, and unity. Our collective strength lies in our to stand together as one, regardless of our differences.”
Despite being hopeful that the situation would improve over time, it is saddening to see that things escalated leading up to the APC governorship primary election scheduled for April 25.
Akintelure had previously served as the deputy governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) alongside Rotimi Akeredolu, who is now the past governor of Ondo State.
They competed against Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party and were unsuccessful in winning the election.
In past elections, Akintelure had also run for the senatorial seat against the Peoples Democratic Party candidate but was unable to secure a victory.
He was a medical doctor from Igbotako, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.