Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, says he has cancelled his December 25 birthday celebration to honour those who died in Wednesday’s stampede in Ibadan, the state capital.
Makinde spoke on Friday when he received a delegation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the south-east led by Adolphus Wabara, a former senate president and chairman of the party’s board of trustees (BoT), on a condolence visit.
The police command in Oyo said 35 minors died in a stampede at a funfair organised for children at the Islamic High School in the Basorun area of Ibadan.
Addressing the delegation, Makinde described the incident as “painful, unfortunate, and preventable”.
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“I will not go out; no birthday celebration this year,” the governor added.
He expressed gratitude to Wabara and other party leaders for their visit, acknowledging that they were the first to offer their condolences.
Wabara conveyed the sympathies of the south-east PDP leaders to the people and government of Oyo state.
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“We, the people of south-east, feel the pain of the sudden death of the 35 children,” the former senate president said.
“We pray God to grant you and the people of the state, particularly the parents of the victims, the fortitude to bear the loss.”
The delegation included Sam Egwu, former governor of Ebonyi; Ben Obi, former national secretary of the PDP; Josephine Anenih, PDP BoT member; Obasi Elebe, a party chieftain; and Onyema Nwele, Ebonyi PDP chairman.
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