Peter Obi Vows to Negotiate With Bandits Who Seek Peace, Fight Those Who Don’t

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has declared that if elected, his administration would pursue dialogue with bandits and other violent groups willing to abandon criminality, while deploying force against those who remain committed to violence.

Obi stated this during an interview on BlackBox with Rufai Oseni, where he outlined what he described as a “balanced approach to restoring security and national cohesion” in Nigeria.

“In uniting the country, anybody who wants peace, I will talk with him; I will negotiate with him. Anybody who wants war, we will go to war,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor said lasting peace would require engaging individuals and groups prepared to embrace reconciliation and contribute positively to nation-building.

“Nigeria must create pathways for rehabilitation and reintegration for individuals who genuinely renounce violence and demonstrate readiness to change,” he said.

Obi argued that societies advance when they provide opportunities for redemption rather than permanently condemning people for past mistakes. He recalled a visit to a university in the United States where several members of the institution’s leadership had previously served prison terms before rebuilding their lives and careers.

“I once visited a university in America where the entire faculty are people who came out of prison. From the dean to the registrar, professors spent years in prison for one offence or the other,” Obi said.

The NDC candidate also linked security to national unity, insisting that every part of the country must feel represented in government and national development.

“I will unite the country and ensure that nobody is left behind. No tribe is left behind; there would be inclusiveness. We will show love and care for everybody,” he said.

The remarks add to the ongoing national debate over Nigeria’s security strategy. In recent days, critics of bandit negotiations have pointed to Senate resolutions and comments by senior lawyer Femi Falana, who warned that government-backed talks with armed groups could violate existing laws.

Sources: Daily Trust