President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday, formally requested the Senate’s consent for the deployment of Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin, following an attempted coup in the neighbouring West African country.
In a letter addressed to the Senate and read during plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu said the urgent request was triggered by a direct appeal from the Government of Benin Republic for immediate military assistance, particularly air support, to halt an unfolding attempt to overthrow its democratic order.
Tinubu, who also serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, anchored the request on Section 5(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires Senate approval for deployment of Nigerian armed forces on external missions.