The Senate has granted rapid approval to President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin after the attempted overthrow of President Patrice Talon triggered a plea for urgent regional support.
The chamber moved with unusual speed after receiving the President’s letter, which detailed Benin’s call for immediate air and ground assistance to contain the coup attempt. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele drew attention to the gravity of the situation, prompting the lawmakers to dissolve into the Committee of the Whole. They returned to plenary within minutes and endorsed the deployment without debate.
President Tinubu’s correspondence, read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, explained that the request followed consultations with the National Defence Council and stemmed from provisions in the 1999 Constitution that require Senate consent for troop deployment. The President stressed that Benin faced an unconstitutional bid to seize power, with its democratic institutions under direct threat.
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Tinubu added that Nigeria’s intervention was driven by long-standing ties of friendship, shared security interests and obligations under ECOWAS collective defence principles. He noted that Benin specifically asked for exceptional and immediate air support as part of a broader effort to regain control of critical state facilities.
The urgency of the matter was underscored by events earlier in the week, when soldiers aligned with the self-styled Military Committee for Refoundation briefly occupied Benin’s state television station in Cotonou. Their leader, Lt Col Pascal Tigri, announced the removal of President Talon before loyalist forces, backed by Nigerian air and ground assets, restored order.
With today’s approval, Nigeria’s peace mission in Benin now proceeds under full legislative backing as part of a regional push to prevent further instability in West Africa.
