Mr Olufemi Aduwo has described as a display of intellectual dishonesty the reaction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to a recent reference by Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, to “Operation Wetie“, ahead the 2027 elections.
Aduwo is the Permanent Representative of CCDI, a non-profit organisation to the ECOSOC/United Nations, with a consultative status of the UN.
Makinde, speaking at the National Summit of Opposition Party Leaders, held in Ibadan, last Saturday, warned against muzzling of the opposition and the speculated attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
The governor noted that the political elite should not forget what led to the political uprising that led to the “Operation Wetie” saga and the eventual death of the First Republic.
However, the APC leadership, both at the state and federal levels read meanings into the warning by Governor Makinde, alleging that his allusion to “Operation Wetie” was a call for anarchy.
Reacting, Aduwo stated in a statement on Monday that every right-thinking Nigerians should be mindful of what he called “the misguided and politically-contrived statement issued by APC.”
He stated, without any equivocation, that the APC reaction was not “only a gross distortion of context, but also a troubling exhibition of either wilful ignorance or a fundamental inability to comprehend even the most elementary use of historical analogy.
“One is left to wonder whether those who crafted that statement possess even a kindergarten grasp of the English Language, let alone the intellectual depth required for serious political discourse.
“Governor Makinde’s remarks were clearly cautionary and not incendiary. His reference to “Operation Wetie” was an invocation of history, nothing more and nothing less.
“It was a sober reminder of the catastrophic consequences that follow when democratic processes are subverted, dissent is stifled and political arrogance is allowed to fester unchecked.
“To interpret such a warning as a call to violence is either intellectually dishonest or deliberately mischievous.
“By attempting to criminalise a legitimate historical reference, the APC exposes a deeper anxiety; an unease with truth and a discomfort with reminders of what unchecked political excess can produce.
“The tragedy of the Western Region crisis is not a subject to be buried under partisan convenience, it is a lesson to be studied, understood and heeded.”
Aduwo added that it was both ironic and alarming that a party which claimed to defend democracy would seek to undermine historical consciousness.
“Such conduct betrays a troubling tendency towards authoritarian thinking, where even words of caution are twisted into offences and dissenting voices are vilified rather than engaged.
Aduwo averred that the statement by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, particularly collapsed under the weight of its own exaggeration.
“To leap from a historical reference to claims of “anarchy” and “murderous rage” is not only illogical but borders on the absurd. It is a political theatre of the lowest quality.
“Furthermore, the attempt to cloak this mischaracterisation in the language of “national security” is both reckless and disingenuous. National security is far too important to be reduced to a tool for partisan intimidation.
“APC would do well to engage in introspection, rather than projection. This pattern of deliberate misrepresentation and inflammatory over-reach poses a greater risk to Nigeria’s democratic stability.
“Nigeria deserves a political culture rooted in honesty, maturity and intellectual rigour; not one diminished by propaganda, distortion and opportunism.
“In the final analysis, the issue is simple; those who cannot understand history are often the first to misinterpret it and, unfortunately, the most likely to repeat its errors,” Aduwo added in the statement.
