PDP defends Makinde over ‘Wetie’ comment, accuses APC of political intimidation

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and key national institutions of being responsible for rising political tension and any potential violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, on Sunday, the opposition party defended Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over his recent remarks at the National Summit of Opposition Political Parties held in Ibadan, insisting that his reference to the historic “wetie” violence was not a threat but a warning against political repression.

The APC and the Federal Government had criticised Makinde’s comments, describing his recollection of the violent political crisis in the old Western Region as a call to violence.

However, the PDP said the governor merely used history to caution the ruling party and national institutions about the consequences of suppressing opposition voices.

“The use of history in the way and manner done by Governor Makinde in the said speech served as a caution and advisory to the Federal Government, the APC, and other national institutions, of the unmitigated crisis that their actions and inactions can result in,” the statement said.

The party added that “only a guilty aggressor can interpret it to mean a threat or call to violence,” stressing that those who fail to learn from history are often doomed by it.

According to the PDP, Makinde’s remarks were a reminder that when political greed replaces patriotism and good governance, and public frustration continues to build, the outcome could be severe.

“Governor Makinde offered a sobering reminder that when insatiable political greed and avarice replace patriotism and good governance… the resultant conflagration will be of immeasurable proportion,” it stated.

The opposition party further alleged that the APC was creating conditions similar to those that led to the “wetie” crisis, accusing the ruling party of pursuing what it described as “elected totalitarianism.”

It also recalled statements made by APC figures while in opposition, including what it described as the “baboon and blood narrative,” arguing that the ruling party lacked the moral authority to accuse others of inciting violence.

“When the APC was in opposition, they did not merely threaten violence, they openly promised to make the country ungovernable,” the PDP said.

The party warned that it would continue to resist what it called attempts to establish a one-party state, adding that opposition parties would adopt stronger legal and democratic measures to protect Nigeria’s democracy.

It concluded by saying responsibility for any violence before or after the 2027 elections would rest with the Federal Government, APC, INEC, and other institutions responsible for safeguarding democratic processes.