The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde unworthy of his office after he invoked “Operation Wetie” at an opposition summit in Ibadan, describing his remarks as a reckless incitement to violence.
Makinde had addressed the national summit of All Opposition Political Party Leaders on Saturday, warning against what he called a dangerous consolidation of legislative power under a single party.
“Operation Wetie” — drawn from a Yoruba expression meaning “wet him” — refers to the political bloodletting that engulfed Nigeria’s western region, particularly Ibadan, in the mid-1960s. Following the disputed 1965 western region elections, opposition figures, their homes and vehicles were doused with petrol and set alight.
The APC moved swiftly to condemn the remarks. In a statement issued Sunday, national publicity secretary Felix Morka said it was deeply troubling that a sitting governor and chief security officer of a state would reach for such a violent historical reference, warning the comments could ignite “anarchy, murderous rage and widespread lawlessness.”