The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for invoking the history of “Operation Wetie” during a summit of opposition political parties in Ibadan.
Speaking at the national summit of All Opposition Political Party Leaders on Saturday, Makinde raised concerns over growing efforts to consolidate legislative control under one party while opposition parties grapple with internal crises and legal battles.
“For those who 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,” Makinde said.
“Operation Wetie” refers to a period of intense political violence that engulfed Nigeria’s western region, particularly Ibadan, in the mid-1960s.
The phrase, derived from a Yoruba expression meaning “wet him”, describes a tactic in which political opponents, their homes and vehicles were doused with petrol and set ablaze.
The crisis erupted after the highly disputed 1965 Western Region elections, which were widely alleged to have been rigged in favour of the ruling faction, effectively sidelining the opposition.
Mr Felix Morka, the party’s National Publicity Secretary in a statement while reacting to comments made by Makinde, termed the remarks as a dangerous incitement and a threat to national security.
”Makinde’s comments are reckless and a clear and present threat to peace and national security.
“It is particularly disturbing for a sitting Governor who bears constitutional responsibility as the Chief Security Officer of his state to conjure up one of the darkest episodes of political violence in Nigeria’s history.
“The APC under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership remains committed to strengthening democratic institutions and upholding the rule of law, and delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda for the peace, unity, and prosperity of all Nigerians,” he said
Morka added that the governor’s rhetoric could not be dismissed as mere opposition posturing because it risked fueling anarchy and widespread lawlessness capable of undermining national stability.
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He, therefore, called on relevant security and intelligence agencies to take Makinde’s statement seriously and act to safeguard lives, property, and defend Nigeria’s democratic order.
He said the governor must be reminded that constitutional immunity from prosecution was not immunity from accountability for threats or acts against national security.
“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, again, vehemently rejects attempts by opposition leaders to frame their internal shambles in alarmist narratives about so-called one-party domination.
“The opposition parties are victims of self-inflicted injuries arising from anti-democratic practices, miserably poor leadership, internal contradictions, utter disregard for due process and the rule of law,” Morka said.
He also accused the opposition of persistent factionalisation and the desperate and dissonant presidential ambitions of their leaders.
According to Morka, the opposition leaders and their coalition have not put anything forward by way of an alternative vision for Nigeria’s development.
He added that all that the opposition had in their arsenal, was fear-mongering built on false narratives about the APC.
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“Our great party rejects the veiled expectation of opposition leaders that the APC would help them manage their internal affairs; we bear no such duty and will not provide any such leadership consulting services to them.
“We will not yield to blackmail to abdicate our duty to our party to plan, organise and mobilise to compete effectively in the upcoming 2027 general elections.
“Our democracy is founded on the idea of competing visions of governance and development.
“Their failure to articulate any alternative vision or policy framework to the visionary and transformative policies of the APC-led administration is on them,”Morka said.
He added that Nigeria’s democratic space remained as robust as could be.
He said with nearly two dozen political parties registered and participating freely in the country’s electoral process, the opposition’s unjustifiable attacks on the APC and their threats of violence was nothing but primitive capitulation.
He said it was also an admission of incompetence and a peremptory alibi for what was looking to be a fantastic rebuke at the hands of the Nigerian electorate.(NAN)
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