Public Affairs Analyst and former President of the Nigeria and African Union of Journalists, Lanre Ogundipe, has cautioned political leaders against what he described as “reckless political metaphors” that threaten democratic discourse, following Governor Seyi Makinde’s reference to “Operation Wetie” at a recent opposition summit in Ibadan.
In a strongly worded statement issued from Abuja on Monday, Ogundipe said the invocation of Operation Wetie “calls for serious caution and reflection” given the phrase’s violent historical baggage.
“Operation Wetie was not a slogan for political excitement,” Ogundipe stated. “It was one of the darkest episodes in the history of the old Western Region marked by violence, arson, political hostility, and the collapse of democratic trust that contributed to the fall of the First Republic.”
He described the 1960s crisis as a painful reminder of how reckless politics can destroy institutions and destabilize society, warning that such tragedies should not be repurposed as campaign rhetoric.
Ogundipe argued that casually deploying the metaphor in today’s political climate is “both historically inaccurate and politically irresponsible,” noting that the actors, circumstances, and ideological realities are entirely different from the Awolowo–Akintola era.
“The present opposition gathering is not an extension of the Awolowo–Akintola crisis, nor does it share the same political pedigree that produced the Wetie era,” he said.
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According to the veteran journalist, invoking such a tragic reference “adds no real value to democratic debate” and instead risks normalising the language of instability.
He warned that reducing serious political discourse to “emotional theatre designed only to excite supporters and generate applause” weakens democracy, which should be strengthened by ideas, institutions, and responsible engagement.
“Political leaders must understand that words matter. Historical tragedies should not be converted into campaign rhetoric or applause lines,” Ogundipe said. “The lesson of Operation Wetie should remain simple: never again.”
He concluded by stressing that Nigeria needs leaders who lower political tension, not those who raise it for temporary advantage, insisting that “history must serve as a teacher, not a tool for political dramatization.”
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