APC, PDP in verbal war over Makinde’s ‘Operation Wetie’ remark

Your remark a reckless incitement to violence, APC blasts Oyo gov

No, Makinde’s comment not a threat but warning against political repression, says PDP

Emeka Agu Jnr with agency report

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, were at each other’s throats over recent comment by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.

Recall that Makinde speaking at the national summit of All Opposition Political Party Leaders on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, warned against what he called a dangerous consolidation of legislative power under a single party.

He said: “For those that are carrying on as if there’s no tomorrow. They should remember that ‘Operation Wetie’ started from here. This is the same Wild Wild West”.

“Operation Wetie” — drawn from a Yoruba expression meaning “wet him” — refers to the political bloodletting that engulfed Nigeria’s western region, particularly Ibadan, in the mid-1960s. Following the disputed 1965 western region elections, opposition figures, their homes and vehicles were doused with petrol and set alight.

Reacting to the comment, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) declared Governor Makinde unworthy of his office, describing his remarks as a reckless incitement to violence.

In a statement issued Sunday, national publicity secretary, Felix Morka said it was deeply troubling that a sitting governor and chief security officer of a state would reach for such a violent historical reference, warning the comments could ignite “anarchy, murderous rage and widespread lawlessness.”

“By his incitement to violence, Makinde has showed himself to be unworthy of the high office of Governor that he occupies,” the party said.

The APC called on security and intelligence agencies to act, while stressing that constitutional immunity does not shield public officials from accountability over statements deemed to threaten national security.

“Makinde must be reminded that constitutional immunity from prosecution is not immunity from accountability for threats or acts against national security,” the statement read.

The party further dismissed fears of a one-party state, blaming the opposition’s woes on self-inflicted wounds. It took aim at former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, accusing both of deepening instability within their respective parties rather than building credible alternatives.

“No individual, however highly placed, should have the power to threaten or endanger the lives and safety of Nigerians or upend the country’s hard-won democratic governance under the guise of political commentary,” the APC added.

The party reaffirmed its confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting Nigeria’s democratic space remains open and pledging to continue mobilising in support of President Bola Tinubu’s agenda.

However, reacting, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defended Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over his recent remarks at the National Summit of Opposition Political Parties held in Ibadan, insisting that his reference to the historic “wetie” violence was not a threat but a warning against political repression.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, on Sunday, the PDP said the Oyo governor merely used history to caution the ruling party and national institutions about the consequences of suppressing opposition voices.

“The use of history in the way and manner done by Governor Makinde in the said speech served as a caution and advisory to the Federal Government, the APC, and other national institutions, of the unmitigated crisis that their actions and inactions can result in,” the statement said.

The party added that “only a guilty aggressor can interpret it to mean a threat or call to violence,” stressing that those who fail to learn from history are often doomed by it.

According to the PDP, Makinde’s remarks were a reminder that when political greed replaces patriotism and good governance, and public frustration continues to build, the outcome could be severe.

“Governor Makinde offered a sobering reminder that when insatiable political greed and avarice replace patriotism and good governance… the resultant conflagration will be of immeasurable proportion,” it stated.

The opposition party further alleged that the APC was creating conditions similar to those that led to the “wetie” crisis, accusing the ruling party of pursuing what it described as “elected totalitarianism.”

It also recalled statements made by APC figures while in opposition, including what it described as the “baboon and blood narrative,” arguing that the ruling party lacked the moral authority to accuse others of inciting violence.

“When the APC was in opposition, they did not merely threaten violence, they openly promised to make the country ungovernable,” the PDP said.

The party warned that it would continue to resist what it called attempts to establish a one-party state, adding that opposition parties would adopt stronger legal and democratic measures to protect Nigeria’s democracy.

It added that responsibility for any violence before or after the 2027 elections would rest with the Federal Government, APC, INEC, and other institutions responsible for safeguarding democratic processes.