Ayo Akinyelure speaks on his talks with Governor Aiyedatiwa

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Ondo Central Senatorial District, Ayo Akinyelure, has said he is not in any political deal with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. He explained that his recent meeting with the governor was to discuss his political future in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akinyelure, a former senator who served Ondo Central from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2019 to 2023, said the meeting was not about negotiating support or asking for favours from the governor.

He spoke on Wednesday during a press conference in Akure, the capital city of Ondo State. This followed rumors that his meeting with Aiyedatiwa hinted at a political alliance ahead of the 2027 elections.

The rumors started after pictures showed Akinyelure with the governor and other officials after a church service at the Government House Chapel in Akure. This led to reports that Aiyedatiwa might be working with Akinyelure due to disagreements within the APC over its National Assembly tickets. The governor has denied these claims.

Why Akinyelure met Aiyedatiwa

Akinyelure explained that he wanted to find out if he could still get the APC ticket to return to the Senate in 2027. He said Aiyedatiwa informed him that the party had already decided who would get the Ondo Central senatorial ticket and that he would not be among the candidates.

“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.”

Akinyelure expressed gratitude to the governor for being honest with him. He noted that Aiyedatiwa could have made false promises without any intention to help.

“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

Akinyelure left the APC in May and joined the ADC. He stated that his decision came after realizing he was not given a fair chance to contest. He learned that the APC’s 2027 senatorial ticket was already reserved for certain candidates.

He said the ADC reached out to him after it became clear he could not get the APC ticket. They offered him a chance to continue his political ambitions.

“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.”

Akinyelure made it clear that his move to the ADC was not about any agreement with Aiyedatiwa or a 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

Akinyelure first lost his chance to return to the National Assembly in 2015 when he was defeated by Tayo Alasoadura of the APC. He ran under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but was overwhelmed by a political wave that favoured the APC.

This loss forced him out of elective office for four years. During this time, he worked to rebuild his political base before returning successfully in 2019.

The same situation happened before the 2023 elections when he failed to secure the PDP ticket during the party's primary. As the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, he was expected to win but lost to Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), who got 82 votes against his 58.

Feeling a duty to his constituents, Akinyelure finished his term and officially left the PDP in June 2023. Instead of retiring, his departure led to several party changes, and he moved to the ADC in mid-2026. Now, he is campaigning as the party’s senatorial candidate to reclaim his seat in 2027.