Pecohub The Senate on Tuesday approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin as part of a rapid regional peace mission aimed at restoring democratic order after an attempted coup in the neighbouring country.
The Senate’s approval comes as the Economic Community of West African States expressed worry over the security and political challenges eroding democracy in the sub-region during the 55th Session of the Mediation and Security Council at the ministerial level in Abuja on Tuesday.
Benin Republic was thrust into turmoil on Sunday after soldiers operating under the Military Committee for Refoundation seized the state-owned television station in Cotonou and announced the removal of President Patrice Talon.
The mutineers, led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, claimed to have deposed the government, raising urgent security alarms across the sub-region.
Loyalist forces, however, regained control after a brief standoff, aided by the rapid mobilisation of Nigerian troops.
The Presidency described the intervention as proof of President Tinubu’s resolve to safeguard constitutional order in West Africa and prevent another democratic collapse within the ECOWAS region.
The Senate granted Tinubu’s request following the consideration of the President’s letter in the Committee of the Whole, after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the communication during plenary.
In the letter, Tinubu—who also chairs ECOWAS—urged lawmakers to endorse the deployment to “help restore governance” in Benin, where a faction of soldiers had attempted to topple President Patrice Talon.
But the chamber erupted into a rare open disagreement among senior lawmakers shortly after the Senate assented to the request.
Deputy Senate President and First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Jibrin Barau, opened the floor with effusive praise for the President’s swift intervention.
He declared, “Democracy is the best form of government. All ECOWAS members are proud of what the president did. Mr President is a true democrat and showed leadership. We will support and stand by him.”
His remarks, however, immediately drew objections from former Bayelsa State governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, who insisted the matter ought to be debated openly.
“I actually felt there is a need for lawmakers to debate this action,” Dickson protested.
Akpabio promptly shut down the suggestion, insisting the Senate had already given its consent.
