APC Alerts Security Agencies Over Makinde’s ‘Operation Wetie’ Remark, Calls Him Unfit for Office

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde dropped a phrase at an opposition summit in Ibadan on Saturday that sent shockwaves through Nigerian politics. By Sunday, the ruling APC had already filed what amounts to a security complaint against him — calling for intelligence agencies to act.

What Makinde said

At a national summit of opposition party leaders held in Ibadan on April 25, Makinde warned against the consolidation of political power under a single party. His words took a sharp historical turn when he invoked Operation Wetie — the violent political crisis that tore through Western Nigeria in the early 1960s, marked by arson, killings, and street violence that eventually contributed to Nigeria’s first military coup.

“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.

In context, Makinde was speaking about the dangers of a one-party state and what he described as deliberate efforts to cripple opposition parties through legal battles and internal crises. “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,” he added.

APC’s reaction: unfit for office

The APC did not wait long to respond. In a statement issued Sunday by National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, the ruling party accused Makinde of outright incitement and called for security agencies to take “immediate action.”

“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,” Morka said.

“By his incitement to violence, Makinde has shown himself to be unworthy of the high office of Governor that he occupies. His statement risks fueling anarchy, murderous rage and widespread lawlessness capable of undermining national stability,” the statement read.

The APC specifically called 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.”

The party also reminded Makinde that constitutional immunity does not shield a public official from accountability when it comes to threats against national security.

The bigger political picture

Beyond the Makinde controversy, the APC used the statement to go after the broader opposition coalition gathering in Ibadan. It dismissed claims of a one-party state as “baseless and alarmist,” blaming the opposition’s troubles on internal divisions and poor leadership.

The PDP came under fire for Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential candidacy, which the APC described as a “ruthless confiscation” of the party’s zoning formula. Labour Party’s Peter Obi was called out for his “restless nomadic disposition” across parties, and the ADC coalition was dismissed as “basically stillborn.”

With 2027 elections on the horizon, the statement made clear the APC sees itself consolidating, not retreating. “Our great Party rejects the veiled expectation of opposition leaders that the APC would help them manage their internal affairs,” Morka said. Nigerians, it added, would “reject gangster antics and threats of violence at the polls in 2027.”

Sources: Sahara Reporters, The Fact, The Times Nigeria