- Aiyedatiwa, other aspirants mourn Akintelure
The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has set up a nine-man committee to oversee the primary election for Ondo governorship aspirants.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.
The development comes barely a day after 15 members of the Ondo State House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, endorsed the governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to clinch the party ticket and win the November 2024 governorship election.
The APC statement partly read, “By a resolution adopted at its 144th meeting held on March 6, 2024, the National Working Committee of our great party constituted a governorship primary election committee of its members for the smooth running of election processes in Ondo State.”
However, the primary election committee members comprised only the APC NWC members.
They include Emma Eneukwu (Chairman), Festus Fuanter, Victor Giadom, Prof. Abdulkarim Kana, Sulaiman M. Argungu, Dr. Mary Alile Idele, Aare Durotolu Bankole, Nze Chidi Duru and Morka.
Aiyedatiwa, other aspirants mourn Akintelure
Meanwhile, reactions have been trailing the death of a governorship aspirant of the APC in Ondo State, Paul Akintelure, as the state governor, Lucky Aiywdatiwa, described the incident as shocking and devastating.
Akintelure was reported to have died on Tuesday in Lagos after a brief illness.
Aiyedatiwa, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, sympathized with the Akintelure family, the people of Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state
The statement read, “Dr. Akintelure was a wonderful human being and was a core progressive. He was very consistent and loyal to the tenets of progressive politics in Ondo State and Nigeria.
“He was a friend and associate. He conducted his private business and public affairs with so much decorum and humility to the admiration of many. We have lost a complete gentleman. He will be greatly missed.”
In the same vein, some of the aspirants of the party have suspended their political activities in honour of the late APC chieftain.
In a statement issued by the spokesman of the Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation, Segun Ajiboye, said his principal, Wale Akinterinwa, said his campaign activities, which were earlier planned to kick off on Tuesday, with praise worship at his country home in Ile-Oluji, was suspended in honour of the deceased.
He said, “I am saddened by the news of the passing of a friend and comrade. Following this sad incident, I have decided to suspend all political activities of our campaign organisation.
“I pray God to console his family, friends, and the APC in Ondo State and to give the fortitude to bear this great loss.”
Similarly, another aspirant, Olusola Oke, described Akintelure’s death as a rude shock, saying the state had lost a great gem.
Oke said in a statement, “The news of the death of Dr. Paul Akintelure came to me as a rude shock. Indeed, Nigeria, Ondo state, and Igbotako town have lost a great gem.
“His passing is a further depletion of the clan of the finest in the politics of our country. He enriched politics with dignity and decency. He lived the life of a dove. Despite the adversarial nature of our politics, he never sought to offend anyone. I am, therefore, constrained by this sad event to suspend all my political activities in honour of our departed compatriot.”
To this end, he announced the postponement of his political campaign in honour of the departed APC chieftain.
