Eshioromeh Sebastian
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on security and intelligence agencies to take immediate action against Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, accusing him of inciting violence and posing a “clear and present threat to peace and national security.”
The call followed remarks made by the governor on Saturday, April 25, 2026, while addressing a summit of opposition political parties in Ibadan.
According to the APC, Makinde invoked the bloody history of “Operation Wetie”, a dark chapter of political violence in Nigeria, to incite Nigerians against the federal government over his allegation that the country is descending into a one-party state.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, CON, said Makinde’s comments were particularly disturbing given his constitutional role as the Chief Security Officer of Oyo State.
“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 Nigerians to violence over his baseless and senseless allegation of the country’s descent into a one party state,” Morka said.
The APC categorically condemned the governor’s remarks as reckless.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) categorically condemns Governor Makinde’s incitement as reckless, and a clear and present threat to peace and national security. 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”, the statement read.
Morka argued that the governor had disqualified himself from holding public office.
“By his incitement to violence, Makinde has showed himself to be unworthy of the high office of Governor that he occupies,” the APC spokesman declared.
The party warned that Makinde’s rhetoric could have disastrous consequences if left unchecked.
“Makinde’s violent rhetoric cannot be dismissed as mere opposition posturing. His statement risks fueling anarchy, murderous rage and widespread lawlessness capable of undermining national stability,” Morka said.
“We therefore call 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 APC also reminded the governor that constitutional immunity does not shield him from accountability.
“Makinde must be reminded that constitutional immunity from prosecution is not immunity from accountability for threats or acts against national security,” the statement 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.”
The ruling party took the opportunity to dismiss the opposition’s broader claims of democratic backsliding, arguing that opposition parties were victims of their own internal failures rather than any one-party domination plot by the APC.
“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.
The APC specifically blamed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing the party as “destroyed by Atiku Abubakar’s ruthless confiscation of the PDP’s 2023 presidential ticket.”
The Labour Party (LP), Morka added, “was effectively subverted by the restless nomadic disposition of its 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, permanently swinging from one party to another.”
The statement concluded by reaffirming the APC’s commitment to democratic competition while rejecting any expectation that it would help the opposition manage its internal affairs.
“Our democracy is founded on the idea of competing visions of governance and development,” Morka said. “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.”
The APC reiterated its confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, pledging to remain focused on “strengthening democratic institutions, upholding the rule of law, and delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda for the peace, unity, and prosperity of all Nigerians.”
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