NDC vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso says an NDC government would open dialogue with terrorists and criminals as part of a broader strategy to tackle insecurity in Nigeria.
Kwankwaso: We’ll Talk to Terrorists
Diplomacy meets the battlefield. Rabiu Kwankwaso, running mate to NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi, says his party’s proposed 2027 administration would engage terrorists and other criminal elements in dialogue — not as a replacement for military force, but alongside it. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Kwankwaso argued that local communities usually know exactly who’s behind attacks in their areas but stay silent out of fear and mistrust, according to Leadership.
“People know almost everything,” he said, explaining that residents who’ve cooperated with security agencies in the past often didn’t get the protection they were promised. Rebuilding that trust, he said, would be central to the NDC’s security strategy.
Asked point-blank whether he’d negotiate with terrorists, Kwankwaso didn’t dodge: “Of course, we will talk to everybody.” But he was quick to add that dialogue wouldn’t sideline force where it’s needed — the military and other security agencies would still be deployed whenever necessary.
His comments land amid Nigeria’s ongoing national debate over the best path to curbing terrorism, banditry and kidnapping ahead of the 2027 elections.
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