Sunday Aborisade, Chuks Okocha, and Michael Olugbode in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu’s prompt response to President Patrice Tallon of the Republic of Benin’s distress call, which was typical of Nigeria’s position on the continent, prevented rogue officers from taking over the nation in the early hours of yesterday.
In response to the request for assistance, Tinubu dispatched both air and ground forces from Nigeria, which assisted in securing the neighboring nation and mobilizing the coup plotters, opening the door for the devoted local military personnel to retake control and bring democracy back.
The Republic of Benin’s failed coup was characterized by the federal government as an outright attack on democracy, constitutional order, and the collective desire of the Beninese people, who had repeatedly shown their dedication to a peaceful political transition.
Unconstitutional changes of government, according to the government, were undesirable and a step backward that endangered the subregion’s socioeconomic advancement and hard-won democratic accomplishments.
The Benin Republic’s attempted military seizure of government was denounced by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as a violation of the people’s will.
However, Campaign for Democracy (CD), a non-governmental organization (NGO) with its headquarters in Nigeria, cautioned ECOWAS that unless African leaders adopted true good governance that would enhance the lives of their inhabitants, its regular denunciation of coups would no longer prevent military takeovers.
Early on Sunday morning, a group within the Benin Republic’s military attempted to remove Tallon. On Benin’s official television, the soldiers declared they had removed Talon from office and disbanded all government agencies.
An assault on Talon’s official residence in Porto-Novo, the capital, marked the start of the coup attempt.
According to the French Embassy on X, “gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo,” which is close to Talon’s residence. The embassy also encouraged French nationals to stay inside for safety.
The troops, purportedly under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, announced on television that they had overthrown the president and issued a statement.
The statement read, “The army solemnly commits to giving the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice, and work prevail.”
In order to protect the president from the threat posed by the dissident soldiers and reinstate democracy, the loyal military group later united around him with the aid of Nigerian troops.
In response to two different requests from the Benin administration, Tinubu first gave the order for Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace in order to assist in removing the coup plotters from a military camp where they had regrouped and the country’s TV station.
In a verbal note, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Benin requested immediate air support from Nigeria “in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation and to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions, and ensure the security of the population.”
The Nigerian Air Force’s deployment within Beninese airspace for surveillance and quick intervention missions under Benin-led coordination was the second request made by the Benin government.
Additionally, Nigerian ground forces were requested by the Benin government, “strictly for missions approved by the Beninese Command authority in support of the protection of constitutional institutions and the containment of armed groups.”
Nigerian ground forces are currently in Benin, according to General Olufemi Oluyede, Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, who stated that all requests have been fulfilled.
Oluyede stated, “Ours is to obey the order of President Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces.”
Tinubu praised the Nigerian military’s bravery in acting quickly in response to the Benin Republic’s government’s plea to protect its 35-year-old democracy from coup plotters who attacked at first light.
According to a statement from his Special Advisor on Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu praised the Nigerian military for continuing to stand firm as defenders and protectors of democracy.
“Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of the government,” he stated in the statement. The ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance guided the actions of our armed forces.
Since 1999, they have made us proud of their dedication to upholding our democratic norms and ideals and have assisted in stabilizing a neighboring country. Nigeria is steadfastly in support of the Republic of Benin’s government and citizens.
“The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has received with grave concern and unequivocally condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted forcible seizure of power in our friendly neighbor and brotherly nation, the Republic of Benin, in the early hours of Sunday 7th December, 2025,” said Kimiebi Ebienfa, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement denouncing the development.
“Democracy, constitutional order, and the collective will of the Beninese people—who have continuously shown their dedication to peaceful political transitions—are directly attacked by this act of destabilization.
“Nigeria expresses unwavering support for the government and citizens of the Republic of Benin and commends the prompt measures taken by Beninese authorities to safeguard its lawful institutions and maintain peace.”
“We applaud the Beninese security forces’ bravery and expertise in upholding the constitutional order and ensuring the President’s safety.” Their commitment made sure that the regrettable attempt to undermine democracy was successfully thwarted.
“Nigeria reiterates its strong commitment to the principles of democracy, good governance, and the rule of law as fundamental pillars for peace, development, and regional stability,” the statement went on.
The hard-won democratic victories and socioeconomic advancement of our subregion are threatened by unconstitutional changes of administration, which are an undesirable and retrogressive act.
“Nigeria calls on all member states and the international community to unite in denouncing this act and reaffirming our shared commitment to the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the African Union’s Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance, as a steadfast partner within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union.”
“We encourage all parties in the Republic of Benin to maintain composure, respect the rule of law, and continue to channel any political discourse through peaceful, constitutional, and democratic means,” the ministry added.
“As we collaborate as brothers and partners to strengthen democracy and secure enduring peace and prosperity for our peoples and the entire West African region, the Federal Government of Nigeria assures the Government of the Republic of Benin of its full support and ongoing cooperation.”
The Subversion of People’s Will in ECOWAS
ECOWAS denounced the Benin Republic’s attempted military coup as a betrayal of the people’s will.
The ECOWAS Commission has received allegations of an attempted military takeover in the Republic of Benin with distress, according to a statement sent by the ECOWAS office in Abuja.
“ECOWAS vehemently denounces this unlawful action that subverts the Benin people’s will.
“ECOWAS commends the government’s and the Republican Army’s efforts to bring the situation under control and demands full respect for Benin’s Constitution.
“ECOWAS holds the plan leaders accountable for any damage and human casualties caused by their actions, both individually and collectively.
“ECOWAS will provide the government and people with all necessary support, including the deployment of the regional standby force, to defend Benin’s territorial integrity and constitution.”
In order to prevent law and order and protect constitutional democracy, ECOWAS also established a standby force in the Benin Republic.
In its second statement, ECOWAS emphasized the steps taken to prevent democracy in the Republic of Benin.
“In addition to its previous announcement on the Republic of Benin, the ECOWAS Commission hereby notifies the public that:
1. In accordance with the terms of applicable ECOWAS documents, including Article 25(e) of the 1999 Protocol Concerning the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Security, and
2. The Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government has mandated the immediate deployment of components of the ECOWAS Standby Force to the Republic of Benin following consultation among members of the Mediation and Security Council at the level of Heads of State and Government.
b. The forces from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, and Republic of Ghana will comprise the Regional Force.
“c. To protect constitutional order and the Republic of Benin’s territorial integrity, the Force will assist the Government and the Republican Army of Benin.”
CD advises ECOWAS to either correct poor leadership or anticipate further military takeovers.
The Campaign for Democracy (CD) said that ECOWAS’s regular denunciations of coups might no longer be sufficient to prevent military takeovers, emphasizing that African leaders must instead adopt true good governance that would enhance the quality of life for their people.
In response to the failed coup attempt in the Republic of Benin early yesterday morning, the pro-democracy group claimed that rather than addressing the underlying causes of the growing demand for soldiers in politics, ECOWAS had become little more than a statement-issuing organization following each military incursion.
Pastor Ifeanyi Odili, the National President of CD, issued a statement in Abuja outlining the organization’s stance.
“ECOWAS would never serve the African people merely by denouncing coups,” the statement stated. The wave of political instability sweeping the continent can only be stopped by strong regional policies that force governments to maintain justice, accountability, and transparency.
According to Odili, leaderships in West Africa have abandoned responsible administration, plunging their countries into economic hardship, skyrocketing inflation, insecurity, and political uncertainty, which is directly responsible for the growing popular dissatisfaction in the region.
Any democracy that continuously causes misery for its population, in his opinion, “is destined to collapse, either through revolution or a military intervention.”
He emphasized that only when administrations have real public support can democracy continue.
“African politicians cannot continue to lead the continent into hardship and expect the populace to remain passive,” declared Odili. When governance fails, the populace will always look for other options.
According to CD, the recent trend in a number of African nations, where a growing number of people publicly favored military control over what they called a dysfunctional version of democracy, should worry ECOWAS and force it to reconsider how it handles the region’s governance issues.
The group called on the regional grouping to adopt a zero-tolerance stance against corruption and incompetent leadership among presidents and other political office holders, going beyond simple condemnations.
It stated that if ECOWAS wanted to maintain democracy on the continent, it needed to start demanding moral leadership, the fulfillment of electoral promises, and stringent accountability from member nations.
“Opposing coups is insufficient. ECOWAS must demand that leaders act justly, fairly, and honorably. If not, coups—successful or unsuccessful—will persist, according to Odili.
He added that democracy can only last when people perceive real advantages from the system they are called to protect, and that only effective governance could shield Africa from frequent upheavals of constitutional order.
Atiku Says It’s Worrisome
The attempted coup d’etat in the Benin Republic was denounced by former vice president Atiku Abubakar, who described the development—particularly the frequency of incidents—as alarming.
“I condemn, without reservation and in the strongest possible terms, the coup d’état in the Benin Republic,” Atiku stated in a statement last night.
“This heedless tendency of attacking constitutional order is completely intolerable, not only because it is so close, but also because the days of military meddling in governance in Africa and our subregion are long gone.
The fact that these coups occur during election seasons in the impacted nations is alarming.
“The alleged military takeover in Guinea-Bissau occurred on the eve of the anticipated announcement of that country’s poll results, while the presidential election in Benin is set for April 2026.”
“It raises fears that certain political operators may be using the military to cancel the democratic processes,” stated Atiku.
“This trend needs to be reversed before it becomes the norm rather than the exception since it poses a threat to the West African subregion’s democracy.
“Every decisive action must be taken to crush any emerging appetite for subverting democracy, and soldiers have no business being anywhere outside their barracks.”
