Paul Akintelure, who is a leading governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, is dead.
His demise was made known in a post shared on X by an indigenous blogger in Ondo State, @OndoFirstBorn.
Though the cause of his death was not revealed, the politician-cum-medical doctor was said to have died in the early hours of today.
In the post, the blogger also noted that before his demise, Akintelure had opened up about threats to his life.
The post reads, “God abeg! One of the leading governorship aspirants of the APC in Ondo State, Dr Paul Akintelure, has been reported dead. He reportedly died in the early hours of today. Just last week, he raised an alarm that there had been both direct and indirect attempts on his life.”
News About Nigeria reported that in a statement released by his spokesperson, Oladapo Akintelure, on Thursday, March 21, 2023, the deceased noted that the threats to his life are becoming more and more daily but he is not backing down as it is only making him stronger and better in his race in the forthcoming election in the state.
“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,” the statement read.
The APC governorship primary election for Ondo state will be held on April 25, 2024.
It can also be recalled that Akintelure was also a one-time deputy governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with Rotimi Akeredolu (the incumbent Ondo State governor) against Olusegun Mimiko, the then Labour Party flagbearer, who won the election.
He had also contested the senatorial election against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate but was defeated.
