A fresh war of words has erupted between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following comments by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, at an opposition leaders’ summit in Ibadan.
Makinde had referenced to the infamous ‘Operation Wetie’, a violent political episode from Nigeria’s First Republic, which the APC has interpreted as an incitement to violence, but which the PDP insists was a historical caution against democratic backsliding.
In a statement released on Sunday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC condemned the governor’s remarks as “reckless” and “a clear and present threat to peace and national security.”
The party said it was “particularly disturbing” that a sitting governor would invoke what it described as “one of the darkest episodes of political violence in Nigeria’s history,” warning that such rhetoric could trigger “anarchy, murderous rage and widespread lawlessness.”
“By his incitement to violence, Makinde has showed himself to be unworthy of the high office of Governor that he occupies,” the APC said, calling on security and intelligence agencies to take the matter seriously and act to safeguard national stability.
The ruling party further accused opposition leaders of peddling “alarmist narratives” about a supposed drift toward a one-party state, attributing such claims to internal crises within opposition ranks.
It took direct aim at key opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, alleging that their political actions had weakened their respective parties and contributed to what it described as a “coalition of confusion.”
The APC maintained that it remained focused on governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting that Nigeria’s democratic space remains vibrant with multiple parties actively participating in the political process.
However, the Oyo State chapter of the PDP in a swift response, fired back in a strongly worded rebuttal, dismissing the APC’s position as “hypocrisy, historical revisionism, and a desperate attempt to silence” the governor.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Michael Ogunsina, the PDP accused the ruling party of “political amnesia” and selective outrage, arguing that figures within the APC had, in the past, deployed similarly forceful rhetoric while in opposition.
The party cited past remarks by President Tinubu and former President Muhammadu Buhari during their years outside power, noting that such statements were instrumental in mobilising political action nationwide.
“It is therefore the height of hypocrisy for the APC today to attempt to criminalize Governor Seyi Makinde for referencing a historical episode as a cautionary reminder against political intolerance,” the PDP said.
Defending the governor, the party insisted that Makinde “did not call for violence” but merely invoked history as a warning, adding that only those “uncomfortable with democratic accountability” would distort the context of his remarks.
The PDP also accused the APC of growing intolerance toward dissenting voices and attempting to “sanctify its own political history” while discrediting opposition figures.
“The APC’s statement reflects not strength, but political anxiety,” it added, linking the development to what it described as rising public dissatisfaction and economic hardship under the current administration.
Reaffirming its stance, the PDP said democracy thrives on the contest of ideas, not the suppression of opposing views, warning against what it termed an emerging pattern of misrepresentation targeting opposition leaders.
Similarly, the South West zonal Secretariat of the PDP, in a statement on Sunday evening, warned the ruling APC against attempt to malign governor Makinde.
According to the statement issued by Chief Sanya Atofarati, PDP Southwest Zonal Publicity Secretary, the party described the APC criticism of Makinde’s remark as laughable, saying efforts to silence Makinde was a venture in futility.
“The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Southwest, has been drawn to the laughable, hollow and desperation-soaked statement issued by the All Progressives Congress, in a futile attempt to malign Governor Seyi Makinde.
“We state, without apology, that this reckless outburst by a failing ruling party is nothing but a crude diversionary tactic—an attempt to silence truth, suppress dissent, and mask the catastrophic collapse of governance under the watch of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Let it be made abundantly clear: Governor Makinde did not incite violence—he spoke truth to power. And it is precisely this truth that has sent shockwaves through the corridors of a power-drunk APC that is hell-bent on reducing Nigeria to a suffocating one-party contraption.
“The mere mention of historical realities such as “Operation Wetie” is not incitement; it is a stark warning against the dangerous path the APC is dragging this nation towards. Only a guilty regime trembles at history.
“The APC, which has presided over unprecedented economic hardship, institutional decay, and democratic erosion, lacks the moral standing to lecture anyone on peace, stability, or governance.
“A party that has weaponized poverty, normalized electoral manipulation, and reduced governance to propaganda cannot suddenly cloak itself in the garment of national security. Nigerians are not fooled.
“It is both ironic and insulting that a party drowning in internal contradictions and sustained by coercion now accuses the opposition of disarray. The APC’s claim that opposition parties are responsible for their challenges is not only false but intellectually lazy. The truth is simple: the APC fears a united, vocal, and courageous opposition—and Governor Makinde represents exactly that.
“We categorically reject the shameless attempt to criminalize dissent and intimidate opposition voices through veiled threats of security agency intervention. Nigeria is not a dictatorship, and no amount of propaganda can turn it into one. The constitutional right to free expression is not at the mercy of APC’s fragile ego.
“Furthermore, the baseless attack on respected opposition figures only reinforces the APC’s long-standing tradition of political intolerance and character assassination. Nigerians are fully aware that the real “gangsterism” lies in the APC’s manipulation of democratic institutions, not in the legitimate resistance mounted by opposition leaders.
“Let the APC be warned: intimidation will not replace competence, propaganda will not replace performance, and threats will not replace legitimacy. The PDP Southwest stands firmly with Governor Seyi Makinde and all Nigerians who refuse to be cowed into silence.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us—not to a cabal masquerading as a political party, ” the statement concluded.