Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the 2027 vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has stated that his administration would engage terrorists and criminals in direct dialogue as part of a broader strategy to reduce insecurity across the country.
Kwankwaso made the remarks during a one-on-one interview on Channels TV's Politics Today programme, where host Seun Okinbaloye pressed him to clarify his security position.
Kwankwaso's Position on Engaging Terrorists
"We will work with the people, even the terrorists and of course the criminals themselves, to see what can be done to discourage their actions," Kwankwaso said. When asked whether he would literally sit down with terrorists, he replied: "Of course, we will talk, we will talk with everybody."
The clip, shared on X by Imran Muhammad @Imranmuhdz, spread quickly and drew strong reactions from Nigerians who found the suggestion alarming.
Public Reactions to the Proposal
@mene_tuale questioned what such talks would look like in practice: "Imagine the idea of speaking with the terrorists, what will the talk be like? 'Stop killing and kidnapping people, and we will give you everything you are requesting for, including making Nigeria an Islamic State and closed down every Western school in the country'. Just imagine."
@juicynews4you expressed disbelief: "No one frolicks with Obi and not get infected with dvllness. Is this the same Kwankwaso we used to know? If it wasn't a video, I wouldn't have believed he made these statements."
Obi Supporters Distancing Themselves
@_LiveAndHope noted that some supporters of Kwankwaso's running partner, Peter Obi, had sought to distance Obi from the remarks: "Some Obidients have started saying he's speaking only for himself and that Peter Obi doesn't share those views. As funny and ridiculous as that sounds, the moment you ask them why Peter Obi hasn't publicly distanced himself from those views, they resort to insulting you."
Insecurity remains one of the most pressing concerns for Nigerian voters ahead of the 2027 general elections, with kidnappings, banditry, and insurgency continuing to affect large parts of the country.
Dialogue as Part of Security Strategy
Kwankwaso's remarks signal that engagement and negotiation, rather than purely military force, would form part of any NDC-led government's approach to the crisis.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Peter Obi said he chose Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election because they share similar views on poverty reduction and education. The NDC presidential candidate said their common focus on human capital development makes them a strong governing team. He also dismissed speculation of disagreements between him and the former Kano governor.
