Senate Approves Tinubu’s Request To Deploy Troops To Benin After Coup Attempt
The Senate on Tuesday approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin, endorsing a regional intervention aimed at restoring stability after an attempted coup in the neighbouring country.
The decision followed deliberations in the Senate Committee of the Whole, during which lawmakers considered the President’s appeal in accordance with Section 5, Part II of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the approval during plenary, noting that the vote was overwhelming.
Akpabio described the move as both strategic and necessary, warning that unrest in any neighbouring country carries implications for the entire region.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” he said, adding that Nigeria has a duty to support its Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) partners in moments of political upheaval.
The attempted overthrow of President Patrice Talon comes amid a worrying resurgence of coups in West Africa and beyond.
In recent months, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau have witnessed similar upheavals, while Benin’s northern neighbours-Niger and Burkina Faso, remain under military rule.
Lawmakers argued that Nigeria’s swift support is essential to preventing further destabilisation and protecting democratic governance within the region.
With Tuesday’s approval, the Senate will now transmit an official consent letter to President Tinubu, paving the way for the deployment of Nigerian forces as part of a coordinated ECOWAS security response.
