In a stirring defence of Nigeria’s decisive intervention in the failed coup attempt in the Republic of Benin, a senior figure of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yisa Ismaila Adebayo — widely known as “Omo-Ade” — on Monday applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for acting swiftly to preserve democracy in the neighbouring country.
The coup plot, led by a faction that identified itself as the Military Committee for Refoundation under Lt. Colonel Pascal Tigri, saw mutineers seize the national broadcaster and declare government dissolution early Sunday. But loyalist forces — with urgently requested support from Nigeria — regained control by evening.
According to Omo-Ade, allowing such an assault on democratic order to succeed would have delivered a dangerous signal across West Africa — one that could have emboldened coup-minded actors and jeopardized regional stability. He argued that Nigeria, as the region’s leading population and economic power, had a strategic duty not just to Benin but to the broader West African community.
“A successful coup in Benin would have carried serious implications for Nigeria, whether we admitted it or not,” he said. “The political ripple effects, security spillovers, and potential destabilisation along our shared borders could have created far greater problems for us in the long run.”
The APC chieftain further dismissed criticism that President Tinubu was neglecting domestic challenges by deploying troops abroad. Instead, he maintained that the administration’s ongoing fight against insurgents, terrorists, and criminal networks at home shows that national security remains a top priority.
Indeed, the international community — and regional bodies such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) — have praised Nigeria’s prompt action. The deployment included air support and ground forces at Benin’s request, aiming to protect constitutional order and safeguard civilian governance in Cotonou.
The coup attempt had threatened to disrupt decades of uninterrupted democratic rule in the Republic of Benin — a country that has remained relatively stable even as militaries took power in several neighbouring states in recent years.
Omo-Ade said Nigeria’s intervention should not be seen as interference, but as responsible leadership — “the kind that makes us proud of being the giant of Africa.” He added: “Those attempting to politicise security issues for personal or partisan gain are simply choosing to ignore the facts.”
As Benin’s constitutional order stabilises and the arrested mutineers face prosecution, he urged fellow Nigerians to view the action not through partisan lenses, but as a necessary defence of democracy in a volatile region.
