Makinde sparks row as APC brands Operation Wetie warning ‘disgraceful’
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised Seyi Makinde over remarks he made at an opposition summit, describing them as inciting and unbecoming of a public office holder.
Makinde, speaking at the National Summit of Opposition Political Party Leaders, referenced the “Operation Wetie” violence that shook the South-West in the 1960s, warning against the dangers of a one party state.
Reacting, the APC’s national spokesman, Felix Morka, condemned the comment as “disgraceful” during an appearance on Sunday Politics.
“So, for a sitting governor, who constitutionally is actually the chief security officer of Oyo State, to bandy around this threat, that is really disgraceful,” Morka said. “Governor Makinde should be ashamed of himself, quite frankly, because it’s wrong for him to do that.”
He added that leaders must exercise restraint in their public statements, warning that comments capable of being interpreted as inciting violence undermine democratic values.
“People in leadership bear exceptional responsibility to speak with restraint, with decorum, and with some sensibility. You don’t sit there as governor, wield enormous authority, and incite people to violence. That is not democratic. That is completely anti democratic,” he said.
“Operation Wetie” refers to a period of intense political violence in Nigeria’s Western Region, particularly in Ibadan, now the capital of Oyo State. The phrase, derived from a Yoruba expression meaning “wet him”, described a tactic in which political opponents and their property were doused with petrol and set ablaze.
The unrest followed the disputed 1965 Western Region elections, widely criticised as being manipulated in favour of the ruling party, and remains one of the most volatile episodes in Nigeria’s political history.
At the summit, Makinde, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warned against complacency in governance.
“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,” he said.
However, Ladan Salihu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) defended the governor, arguing that the remarks were intended as a caution rather than a threat.
Speaking on the same programme, Salihu said Makinde’s comments reflected growing concerns about national stability.
“What Governor Makinde just did was to drop a warning. When you take the historical perspective of ‘Operation Wetie’ and contextualise it with what is happening today, there are salient signs and danger signals,” he said.
He added that the warning should prompt the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address pressing issues such as insecurity, economic hardship and governance challenges.
“If we do not take care of these problems, we are likely to fall into them. He is giving a wake up call,” Salihu said.