?As AfDB President, Minister, NFF president, Ajimobi's son visit Oyo gov

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal Dare, has declared that the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to back Rt. Hon. SKE Ude-Okoye remained valid, noting that the party will come out stronger from its crisis.

Governor Lawal maintained that the PDP needed to learn lessons from certain mistakes, noting that the resolution of the governors' meeting in Delta showed that the party is making efforts to come out stronger to lead Nigeria to the promised land.

The Zamfara governor stated this in Ibadan, on Sunday, when he paid a condolence visit to the governor of Oyo State, 'Seyi Makinde, over the death of his older brother, Engr. Sunday Makinde.

He said: ?Concerning what is currently going on in the PDP; in politics, there are always issues. With what happened in Delta two days ago, it shows we are making waves to be back to the people to lead this country.

?We [governors] are the leaders of this party. We have a say and whatever we say is what would be implemented.

"There is nothing really wrong with the PDP. The ongoing crisis is normal and it happens like that in other parties too. So, it is nothing new. It is one of those things.

?This will make us even stronger because we need to learn from certain mistakes and that will be a learning process.?

Governor Lawal, who visited Makinde with some members of the cabinet, said: "Governor Makinde is my very good friend and it is an obligation for me to come and commiserate with him and his entire family on the loss of his older brother. I am also here with my team.

"Death is inevitable and we are here to comfort and tell him that we are with him in this trying moment."

On Sunday, Governor Makinde also received the African Development Bank (AfDB) president, Dr Akinwumi Adesina; Minister of Livestock Development, Dr Idi Maiha and the Senior Special Assistant to the president on Livestock Development, Mr Idris Ajimobi; the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau and some members of the Board.

Addressing newsmen shortly after visiting Makinde, Dr Adesina, commiserated with the governor and his family.

He said: "He [Makinde's older brother] passed away at such a young age. So, I came here to be with the governor and I pray that God would give him the strength and fortitude to bear the loss over the tragic loss. I just pray everything will go well.

?I also conveyed the condolences of my wife and the AfDB because he is a partner. May the soul of his brother rest in perfect peace.?

The NFF president, Gusau, equally commiserated with Governor Makinde, saying: ?My words of encouragement to Governor Makinde is just to pray for him that God will give him the ability to contain this loss. To lose a senior brother at the age he died and at a moment like this is not something easy.

?But as a friend and brother and one who has been doing great works not only in Oyo State but also in Nigeria, we felt it is important to be with him to commiserate with him and the family."

The NFF president hinted that the Federation had been working with the Federal Ministry of Education with a view to restoring some tournaments towards developing football from the grassroots.

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