The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government for its condemnation of a speech delivered by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at the recent Opposition Summit in Ibadan. The federal government and the APC had described the speech, which referenced 'Operation Wetie,' as a call to violence. However, the PDP maintains that the reaction from the ruling party reflects the panic of an aggressor cornered by its own misdeeds.
PDP Clarifies Makinde's Intent
In a statement, the PDP asserted that Governor Makinde's use of historical context was intended as a cautionary advisory to the federal government, the APC, and national institutions. The party emphasized that only a guilty aggressor would interpret the speech as a threat or incitement to violence. 'It is common knowledge that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,' the PDP said.
Historical Parallels Drawn
The party explained that Governor Makinde offered a sobering reminder of the consequences when insatiable political greed and avarice replace patriotism and good governance. The PDP noted that the events leading to the tragic 'Wetie' incident and the current political climate under the APC are not merely similar but identical in intent and execution. 'To continue doing the same thing while expecting a different result is the very definition of political recklessness. When pushed to the wall, people have no other direction to go but forward, against the wall itself,' the statement read.
APC's Hypocrisy Exposed
The PDP recalled that when the APC was in opposition, it openly threatened to make the country ungovernable, using the infamous 'baboon and blood' narrative. The party argued that the APC therefore lacks any moral authority to complain about a historical recollection by a sitting governor. 'They cannot decry the effect while remaining willfully blind to the cause and to their own culpability in it,' the PDP added.
Warning Against One-Party State
The PDP warned that as long as the targeted state-sponsored decimation of the opposition continues, opposition parties will explore increasingly potent strategies within the law to prevent the enthronement of a one-party state under an elected dictator. The party called on the APC to be ashamed of its comprehensive failure in governance and its resort to crude tactics of inducement, intimidation, and persecution of opposition leaders.
Responsibility for 2027 Elections
Finally, the PDP stated that responsibility for any violence in the build-up to or after the 2027 elections lies squarely with the federal government, the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and every national institution charged with defending democracy. 'The citizens know the aggressors from the victims, and the APC's attempt to play victim has failed woefully,' the party concluded.
