Chidiebere Onyishi
On Sunday, December 7, 2025, a group of soldiers who called themselves “Military Committee for Refoundation, led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri announced that they had removed President Patrice Talon and dissolved the government. This is coming on the heels of a recent “coup” in Guinea Bissau barely a month ago, sparking serious concerns on the rise of coup attempts in West Africa.
Following successful military intervention from Nigeria at the request of the Benin government, democracy has been restored, with the coupists arrested – according to news sources. Benin Republic President, Patrice Talon announced officially last night that the coup had been foiled, and thus, over. The Nigerian Air Force also confirmed “aerial operations” in crushing the short-lived coup attempt.
It appears that the Tinubu administration has aligned itself with the militarization of Nigeria’s foreign policy. For the second time in this administration, he has chosen direct military action over diplomatic channels. Recall that in July 2023, a military coup in Nigeria Republic ousted President Mohammed Bazoum, and Nigeria in conjunction with ECOWAS imposed sanctions and threatened direct military action with a one-week ultimatum to the new regime. However, before the expiration, Nigeria had already positioned itself to invade Niger without legislative approval. If not for the timely intervention of David Hundeyin, who exposed the move, Tinubu would have proceeded without approval. Even though he eventually wrote to the Senate in August 2023 seeking their approval, it was vetoed by the Senate.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThen again, perhaps yesterday, the Presidency’s grasp of the Constitution flew out with the fighter jets to Benin. This action violates Section 5(4)b of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria expressly states that “except with the prior approval of the Senate, no member of the armed forces of the Federation shall be deployed on combat duty outside Nigeria”. This amounts to executive rascality.
This is not merely unconstitutional – this is an impeachable offense that strikes at the heart of legislative oversight and democratic accountability. This precedent is dangerous not merely because of this single incident, but because it establishes a pattern. If a president can bypass the National Assembly for ‘urgent’ bilateral requests today, what prevents similar circumvention tomorrow?
Another salient point is the proverbial hand of Esau, but the voice of Jacob. One wonders if it was truly President Tinubu’s unilateral decision, or if perhaps, he was pressured by his counterpart in Paris, President Macron of France. Evidently, President Macron confirmed in a tweet that he had a phone call with President Tinubu earlier on Sunday, when news of the coup was still filtering in. France, having lost military influence in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has clear economic interests in maintaining stability in Benin – its remaining strategic foothold in the region.
Arguably, deploying ground forces while pursuing diplomatic channels might be defensible. But conducting precision airstrikes against a neighboring African Country – apparently at the behest of a former colonial power – crosses a line that the rhetoric of “restoring democracy” cannot justify. Meanwhile, exhausting the military strength of our country facing enormous domestic security challenges, including the continued detention of school children who are yet to be rescued is the height of irresponsibility, and shows where this Administration’s priorities lie. The National Assembly must as a point of duty, assert its constitutional prerogatives by demanding full briefings and establishing mechanisms to prevent future circumvention of the provisions of the constitution.
Finally, in the words of Abdul Mahmud: ”The recent wave of coups across the region is not a matter of happenstance; it is the predictable outcome of politicians who have mismanaged democracy so thoroughly that rupture becomes inevitable.
If Nigeria’s response to democratic collapse is itself undemocratic, we have learned nothing.
