Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has vowed to engage in dialogue with separatist groups in the country and utilize military force if necessary upon being elected on February 25th. The statement was made at the People’s Townhall event held in Abuja on Sunday, where Obi outlined his plan to adopt a “carrot-and-stick” approach to addressing separatist movements.
This approach involves first using dialogue to address the concerns of these groups, and then turning to military action to protect Nigerian lives and property if necessary. Obi argued that discussions with separatists are the best way to address the root causes of their grievances and find long-term solutions.
“I will discuss with those who want to discuss. You have to look at what is causing agitations today; it is issues of injustice, issues where there is no fairness, issues to do with poverty, and unemployment.
“When you start to address these issues and you engage them in discussions and you start bringing them to the table, no agitator anywhere in the world will see the reason that things are going the way they ought to and will continue to agitate because they are agitating for something.”
In addition to addressing separatist agitations, Obi also discussed his plans to combat corruption in military procurement processes and involve community leaders in the fight against kidnapping.