The South West chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has told the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, to ensure that all his children come back to Nigeria, from where they are schooling abroad to be part of the "operation wetie" (Political Violence) that he preached in Ibadan today.
Makinde had invoked the violent political history of “Operation Wetie”, a campaign of deadly political violence that rocked the Western Region of Nigeria in the mid-1960s.
It was adapted from the Yoruba phrase meaning “wet or soak" homes and vehicles of perceived political opponents with petrol before setting them ablaze.
Makinde made this inciting comment at the National Summit of All Opposition Political Party Leaders in Ibadan, Oyo State today.
Reacting through its Publicity Secretary, Hon. Akinloye Oyeniyi, the PDP in the Southwest Zone disowned the summit saying; "the meeting was a jamboree staged to revive Governor Seyi Makinde’s dwindling political fortune and hand him the vice presidential candidate's ticket of the David Mark-led ADC.”
The party, which also described Makinde's comment as reckless, and unbecoming of a sitting governor, added that the Southwest will not be available to be used as a political war-zone by any disgruntled and selfish politician.
Clarifying the status of the meeting, Oyeniyi said; “The event was a meeting of a coalition masquerading as an all-opposition-parties summit. It did not represent the PDP or the broader opposition in Nigeria. Rather, it's to serve the interest of the person whose scheming is to get the vice presidential ticket of the coalition through the back door.”
The party commended former President Olusegun Obasanjo for staying away from the meeting, saying his absence made it clear to the world that he is not part of that group.
Oyeniyi further alleged that the summit was convened by Governor Makinde as a face-saving move.
