•Nwifuru, Egwu, and Others Express Condolences
In light of the tragic stampede in Ibadan, which resulted in the deaths of numerous children during a Christmas carnival, the South East chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has decided to cancel the extravagant birthday celebration planned for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
The event was set to take place at the Re-Meritona Hotel in Abakaliki and was organized by the beleaguered PDP National Vice Chairman for the South East, Chief Ali Odefa. It aimed to gather prominent figures from the Southeast and beyond, including notable Igbo leaders such as former Senate President Adolpus Wabara, former Special Adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Professor Ben Obi, former Minister of Women Affairs Josephine Anenih, former PDP National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh, and former Anambra PDP governorship candidate Valentine Ozigbo.
As the attendees awaited the birthday lecture to be delivered by Professor Obi, former Ebonyi State Governor Senator Sam Egwu took to the microphone to announce the cancellation of the festivities. He characterized the stampede as a devastating event and emphasized that it would be inappropriate to celebrate while the nation mourns.
“You may have heard that over 40 children lost their lives due to a stampede that occurred in Oyo during a school event as part of the Christmas activities. Sadly, it has been confirmed that more than 40 children have died.
“In light of this tragedy, the celebrant and many others are not here with us. After discussions with Chief Odefa and his wife, we have collectively decided to cancel the function. It would be improper to hold a celebration when the chief celebrant is grieving,” Egwu stated.
Odefa informed the audience that Governor Makinde had planned to attend the event and had sent an advance team, only for the unfortunate incident to unfold.
“They cannot be mourning while we celebrate. It is truly painful and sad, but we must accept the reality. Our leaders have convened.
“This gathering includes Igbo leaders from various political backgrounds; we are not focusing on party affiliations today. Therefore, as our leader stated, we have agreed to cancel today’s event and reschedule it for another time,” he added.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, represented by his Chief of Staff Professor Emmanuel Echiegu, also expressed shock at the devastating news of the stampede.
