Ondo ADC’s senatorial candidate rules out alliance with Aiyedatiwa after failed talk over APC ticket

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Ondo Central Senatorial District, Ayo Akinyelure, has denied entering into any political agreement with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, saying his recent meeting with the governor was to clarify his political future in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Akinyelure, a former senator who represented Ondo Central in the 7th (2011– 2015) and 9th (2019 – 2023) National Assemblies, said the meeting was neither a negotiation for political support nor an attempt to secure personal favours from the governor.

Arise News reported that Mr Akinyelure spoke on Wednesday at a media conference in Akure, the Ondo State capital, following speculations that his interaction with Mr Aiyedatiwa signalled a political alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The speculation followed photographs of Mr Akinyelure with the governor and other dignitaries after a church service at the Government House Chapel in Akure.

The development had earlier fuelled reports that Mr Aiyedatiwa could be working with the ADC candidate following disagreements within the APC over its National Assembly tickets. The governor had denied the allegation.

Why Akinyelure met Aiyedatiwa

Mr Akinyelure said he approached the governor to determine whether he could still secure the APC ticket to return to the Senate in 2027.

According to him, Mr Aiyedatiwa told him that the party had already decided who would receive the Ondo Central senatorial ticket and that he would not be considered.

“The only thing I needed was to know whether the party would give me the ticket back to the Senate because I believe I am the most qualified person to represent Ondo Central,” he said.

“The governor told me they had already considered who they wanted to give the ticket to and that I could not get it.”

Mr Akinyelure said he appreciated the governor for being direct with him, arguing that the governor could have promised him support without intending to deliver on it.

“I thanked him for telling me the truth. If he wanted to deceive me, he would have promised support during the primary. At least, he was honest with me, so there was no political pact,” he said.

Exit from APC

Mr Akinyelure defected from the APC earlier in May to join the ADC. He said at the time that his defection was triggered by a denial of a fair opportunity to contest, after learning that the APC’s 2027 senatorial ticket had been undemocratically reserved for preferred aspirants.

He said the ADC approached him after it became clear that he could not secure the APC ticket and offered him a platform to pursue his political ambition.

He stated that his decision to move to the ADC was driven by his desire to remain politically active and continue representing the interests of people in Ondo Central.

“Before then, ADC came to me and said there was a seat for me and that they needed my political value to help build the party,” he said.

“Since APC gave me a red card, I had to move to where my interest and the interest of my people would be protected.”

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The former senator said his defection was not motivated by an arrangement with Mr Aiyedatiwa or a broader plan against the APC.

“Anybody in Ondo Central who believes I represented them well can vote for me irrespective of their political party. Whether APC, ADC, Labour Party or SDP, what matters is good representation,” he said.

Senatorial bids

Mr Akinyelure first failed to return to the National Assembly in 2015 after losing his re-election bid to Tayo Alasoadura of the APC. Running under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) banner, Mr Akinyelure was swept aside by a massive, nationwide political wave that favoured the newly formed APC during that election cycle.

The electoral defeat forced him into a four-year hiatus from mainstream elective office, during which he worked behind the scenes to rebuild his political base before staging a successful comeback in 2019.

History repeated itself ahead of the 2023 general elections, when Mr Akinyelure failed to secure the PDP ticket during the party’s primary election. Serving as the incumbent Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, he was widely expected to win, but he was defeated in a major upset by legal practitioner Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), who polled 82 votes against Akinyelure’s 58.

Driven by what he described as a duty to his constituents, Mr Akinyelure chose to serve out his legislative mandate before officially resigning from the PDP in June 2023.

Rather than retiring from the political stage, his exit triggered a series of rapid party defections, culminating in his mid-2026 move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) where he is currently actively campaigning as the party’s senatorial candidate, aiming to reclaim his seat in the 2027 general elections.