President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has retroactively applied for and secured the Nigerian Senate’s approval for the deployment of his country’s troops to put down Sunday’s coup by soldiers of the Republic of Benin, with headquarters in Cotonou.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, set the ball rolling when he read Tinubu’s letter during plenary today December 9, some 48 hours after Tinubu unilaterally sent the Nigerian troops to stop the coup.
The Senate approved the request.
Senators unanimously voted in favour of the deployment, giving legislative backing for the regional security intervention.
“Pursuant to Section 5, Subsection 5, Part 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended. “I seek, in further consultation with the National Defence Council, the consent of the senate, for the deployment of Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin.”
According to Tinubu, the request followed an appeal from the government of Benin Republic for “the exceptional and immediate provision of air support by the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
He said: “The government of the Republic of Benin is currently faced with an attempted unconstitutional seizure of power and disruption and destabilization of democratic institutions”.
The President said “the situation as reported by the government of Benin requires urgent external intervention”.
“Considering the close ties of brotherhood and friendship which exists between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, as well as the principles of collective security upheld within ECOWAS, it is our duty to provide the support as requested by the government,” he added.
After the letter was read, Akpabio committed same to the committee of the whole “for immediate action”.
Akpabio described the decision as a step in the right direction, noting that instability in any neighboring state poses a threat to the entire region.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” the lawmaker said.
He underscored that it is Nigeria’s responsibility to support its Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) partner.
Benin Republic’s attempted coup occurred on Sunday, when some military personnel announced the removal of President Patrice Talon.
The soldiers who called themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) took to national television to announce that they had met and concluded that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic”.
In the wake of the attempted coup, ECOWAS said it will deploy a standby force to the area.
