The Peoples Democratic Party has accused President Bola Tinubu, the ruling All Progressives Congress and key national institutions of fueling political tension ahead of the 2027 general election, warning that any breakdown of peace before or after the polls would rest squarely with those in power. The opposition party made the allegation in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, as controversy continued over remarks by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at an opposition summit in Ibadan.
The PDP’s statement was a direct response to criticism from the APC and the federal government over Makinde’s reference to the historic “Operation Wetie” violence in the old Western Region. The APC said the governor’s comments amounted to incitement and a threat to national security, arguing that it was reckless for a sitting governor and chief security officer of a state to invoke one of Nigeria’s darkest political episodes in the heat of opposition politics.
But the PDP insisted Makinde’s remarks were not a call to violence. Instead, it said the governor was drawing from history to caution the federal government, the APC and institutions such as the electoral authorities against actions that could suppress opposition voices and deepen democratic instability. According to the party, only those acting in bad faith would interpret the warning as a threat rather than a political and historical admonition.
The opposition party argued that Makinde’s speech was intended as a reminder of what can happen when political greed, repression and weak governance are allowed to fester. In its view, the APC is creating conditions reminiscent of the instability that produced the original “wetie” crisis, while simultaneously portraying opposition resistance as incitement. The PDP also accused the ruling party of pursuing what it called “elected totalitarianism” and attempting to edge Nigeria toward a one-party state.
The exchange comes amid wider maneuvering among opposition actors ahead of 2027, including a summit in Ibadan where some parties and political figures backed the idea of presenting a single presidential candidate against Tinubu. That gathering itself has exposed fault lines within the opposition, with some PDP, Labour Party and ADC factions distancing themselves from the meeting and its resolutions.
Even so, the latest war of words underlines how quickly the political atmosphere is heating up. For the PDP, the central message is that the burden of responsibility for any future violence lies not with Makinde’s warning, but with the conduct of those who control federal power and the institutions meant to guarantee a fair democratic contest
