By Ayodele Oni
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde’s invocation of the violent political history of “Operation Wetie” of the 1960s in the South West to caution against moves towards one-party domination in Nigeria.
“Operation Wetie” was a campaign of intense political violence that rocked Nigeria’s western region, with its epicentre in Ibadan, in the mid-1960s.
The term, derived from the Yoruba phrase meaning “wet him” or “soak it,” described the practice of dousing political opponents, their homes and vehicles with petrol before setting them ablaze.
APC in a statement on Sunday, signed by Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary,
stated that “While addressing a summit of opposition political parties in Ibadan, on Saturday, Governor Makinde invoked the bloody history of ‘Operation Wetie’ to incite Nigerians to violence over his baseless and senseless allegation of the country’s descent into a one party state.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) categorically condemns Governor Makinde’s incitement as 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 to threaten violence against the people and government of Nigeria.
“By his incitement to violence, Makinde has showed himself to be unworthy of the high office of Governor that he occupies.
“Makinde’s violent rhetoric cannot be dismissed as mere opposition posturing. His statement risks fueling anarchy, murderous rage and widespread lawlessness capable of undermining national stability.
“We therefore call on all relevant security and intelligence agencies to take this unfortunate development seriously and act to safeguard lives, property, and defend Nigeria’s democratic order.
“Makinde must be reminded that constitutional immunity from prosecution is 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 confused 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, persistent factionalization, and the desperate and dissonant presidential ambitions of their leaders.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was destroyed by Atiku Abubakar’s ruthless confiscation of the PDP’s 2023 presidential ticket in violation of the party’s constitutionally entrenched rotational zoning formula.
“The Labour Party (LP) was effectively subverted by the restless nomadic disposition of its 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, permanently swinging from one party to another in search of free and uncontested presidential ticket.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC), so-called coalition platform, was basically stillborn, strangled by the reckless robbery of that party’s leadership by the same band of marauding opposition figures, never willing to remain and build their parties but always quick to use the revolving door on to the next available party.
“They have left nothing but desolation in opposition trail.
“At the APC, we are confident that Nigerians are discerning and recognize that a party so grossly unable to manage its own internal affairs cannot be entrusted with the governance of Africa’s most populous and important country.
“These opposition leaders and their coalition of confusion have not put anything forward by way of an alternative vision for Nigeria’s development. All they have in their arsenal is fear mongering built on false narratives about the APC.
“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.
“And we will not yield to blackmail to abdicate our duty to our Party to plan, organize and mobilize 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, and Nigerians are justified in rejecting their gangster antics designed to threaten their way to electoral victory.
“Nigeria’s democratic space remains as robust as can be. With nearly two dozen parties registered and participating freely in the country’s electoral process, the opposition’s unjustifiable attacks on our great Party, and their threats of violence is nothing but primitive capitulation, an admission of incompetence, and a peremptory alibi for what is looking to be a fantastic rebuke at the hands of the Nigerian electorate come 2027.”
