Senate, on Tuesday, gave accelerated approval to President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin for peace keeping mission following last Sunday’s foiled coup there.
Approval by the upper legislative chamber was sequel to the consideration of a letter to that effect by Tinubu at the Committee of the Whole where lawmakers unanimously voted in favour of the deployment, giving legislative backing for the regional security intervention.
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio described the decision as a step in the right direction, noting that instability in any neighbouring country poses a threat to the entire region.
He said: “An injury to one is an injury to all.”
Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President and read during plenary.
According to the President, the letter was as a result of a request by the Republic of Benin for an exceptional air support from Nigeria’s Armed Forces after soldiers attempted to overthrow President Patrice Talon.
Tinubu, who cited Section 30 (5), Part II of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), stated that he had consulted the National Defence Council before forwarding the request.
He noted that Senate approval was now required to authorize a regional peacekeeping mission.
The President Tinubu warned that Benin was facing “an attempted unconstitutional seizure of power and the destruction and destabilization of democratic institutions,” and therefore urged the Senate to act swiftly.
He added that Nigeria has a historical responsibility to support Benin under the existing Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS security frameworks.
According to him, the crisis demands “urgent external intervention” to help restore stability and prevent further breakdown of order.
The Senate President, subsequently referred the request to the Committee of the Whole for immediate consideration.
It would be recalled that soldiers operating under the “Military Committee for Refoundation,” led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, briefly seized the state television station in Cotonou on Sunday, announcing the overthrow of President Patrice Talon’s administration, but the coup was foiled by the intervention of fighter jets and troops deployed in the neighbouring country by President Tinubu.