Following his defeat at the just concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election, Patrick Akinyelure who is a two-term Senator representing Ondo Central Senatorial District has attributed his failure to secure the party’s ticket to the handwork of Olusegun Mimiko, the former Governor of the state.
After losing the ticket to Ifedayo Adedipe, Akinyelure accused Mimiko of orchestrating his defeat by instructing the delegates not to vote for him.
Ifedayo Adedipe defeated the serving Senator by polling 82 votes, while Senator Akinyelure and the former state party chairman, Clement Faboyede, scored 58 and 57 votes, respectively.
The Senator, who described the election as free and fair lamented that even after contributing immensely to the advancement of his Senatorial District, the delegates voted against him.
He said: “As a ranking Senator and with all I have done for them in Ondo Central Senatorial District, the three ad-hoc delegates that favour Olusegun Mimiko, they gave instructions to them to vote me out. I am happy about this but I know my God will never fail.
“I know what I am talking about. We have six local governments in the central, by the grace of God I am still a sitting Senator.
“The election was so transparent but I know that with the volume of what I have done for Ondo Central Senatorial District, I did not expect to be paid this way. But I have a destiny that nobody can stop.”
Meanwhile, the party congratulated the candidates that emerged in the party primaries across the state.
The State Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei said: “The orderly and peaceful manner in which delegates and party leaders conducted themselves during the exercise was a clear demonstration of the readiness of our great party to end the misrule of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) at the general elections next year.
Peretei added that “Party Primaries are nothing but a mechanism to strengthen internal democracy within the party.
“It is our collective responsibility to rescue and rebuild our nation from those who have practically grounded the country.
“The primaries were essentially a family affair. There should be no bitterness nor ill feelings.
“We have put our hands on the plough and we shall not look back.
He called on party leaders and members to unite as it prepares for the general elections.
