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Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of inciting violence after he invoked the country’s bloody “Operation Wetie” history during an opposition summit, calling him “unworthy” of the office he holds.
APC said in a statement on Sunday that Makinde, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), used his address at a summit of opposition parties in Ibadan on Saturday to reference one of the darkest episodes of political violence in Nigeria’s history.
“The APC categorically condemns Governor Makinde’s incitement as reckless, and a clear and present threat to peace and national security,” said Felix Morka, the party’s national publicity secretary, in the statement.
“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.”
What Makinde said
During the national summit, Makinde said more and more people are trying to put all legislative power in the hands of one party, while opposition parties deal with problems within their own ranks and in the courts.
“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,” Makinde said.
He also recalled Ibadan’s role in shaping Nigeria’s constitutional future in 1950, saying the gathering carried the same responsibility.
“There are open efforts to consolidate legislative control under one party. At the same time, opposition parties are increasingly entangled in internal crises and legal battles that raise serious questions about their ability to function effectively,” Makinde said.
He cautioned that such developments should not be treated lightly, adding that it was not the time for opposition leaders to be disengaged from politics.
“This is not something that we should treat lightly. I don’t want to think saboteurs are here. Because democracy is not destroyed overnight, it is weakened step by step until people begin to feel it no longer works for them,” he said.
“When opposition becomes ineffective, democracy itself loses meaning. Democracy is not defined by the success of one party, it is defined by the existence of real alternatives. By the ability of citizens to choose.”
Makinde said the summit was not motivated by personal ambitions or vendettas.
“This meeting is not a gang up against one man. And it’s not about individual ambition to be president; it is about the collective ambition of the Nigerian people to have a democracy that is properly defined,” he said.
“No matter how strong a party becomes or how popular any government may appear, the presence of credible opposition is not a threat to democracy.”
What is ‘Operation Wetie’?
“Operation Wetie” refers to a period of political violence in southwestern Nigeria during the 1960s and 1970s, characterised by brutal attacks on political opponents.
The term derives from the Yoruba phrase meaning “to pour something on someone,” often referring to setting opponents on fire.
APC calls for security action
The ruling party called on security agencies to take the matter seriously and act to protect lives and property.
“By his incitement to violence, Makinde has showed himself to be unworthy of the high office of Governor that he occupies,” Morka said.
“Makinde must be reminded that constitutional immunity from prosecution is not immunity from accountability for threats or acts against national security.”
APC added: “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.”
APC rejects one-party state claims
The ruling party rejected opposition claims that Nigeria is descending into a one-party state, describing such narratives as “alarmist.”
“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,” Morka said.
APC also criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and the African Democratic Congress coalition, accusing them of destroying their own parties through internal mismanagement and personal ambition.
It stated, “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.”
INCITING VIOLENCE – GOVERNOR MAKINDE, YOU ARE UNWORTHY OF THE OFFICE YOU OCCUPY
While addressing a summit of opposition political parties in Ibadan, yesterday, Saturday, April 25, 2026, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state invoked the bloody history of “Operation Wetie” to incite… pic.twitter.com/56GcBkJ0uW
— APC Nigeria (@OfficialAPCNg) April 26, 2026
APC defends democratic record
The ruling party said Nigeria’s democratic space “remains as robust as can be” with nearly two dozen registered parties participating freely in the electoral process.
“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.”
The APC reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and upholding the rule of law under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership.
At the time this report was written, Governor Makinde’s office had not yet responded to the APC’s claims.
PRESS STATEMENT
INCITING VIOLENCE – GOVERNOR MAKINDE, YOU ARE UNWORTHY OF THE OFFICE YOU OCCUPY
While addressing a summit of opposition political parties in Ibadan, yesterday, Saturday, April 25, 2026, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state invoked the bloody history of “Operation… pic.twitter.com/mSwvvwgmWi— Bayo Onanuga, OON, CON (@aonanuga1956) April 26, 2026
