Senate has unanimously approved the immediate deployment of Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin for peace mission after a failed coup attempt and subsequent volatile political tension in the country.
The approval followed a letter from President Bola Tinubu pursuant to Section 5 (5) Part 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended which empowers President Tinubu to seek consultation with the National Defence Council and the consent of the Senate for the deployment of Nigerian troops to the neighbouring Republic of Benin.
The request was also made in response further to the appeal received from the Government of Benin Republic for exceptional and immediate provision of air support by the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to contain the situation in Benin Republic.
According to the letter read by the President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio at the plenary, the situation as reported by the Government of Benin requires urgent external intervention.
The letter requested the Senators to consider the close ties of brotherhood and friendship which exist between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin as well as the principles of collective security upheld within ECOWAS.
The Senate therefore committed the request to the Committee of the Whole for immediate deliberation and action during which the Senate approved the request as put into the voice vote by the President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio.
Meanwhile, many senators have commended President Tinubu for the prompt action towards restoring democratic regime in Benin Republic.
Senator Sieraki Dickson particularly decried the incessant coup incidences in the Western African Subregion and urged President Bola Tinubu to go beyond military action and immediately summon his colleagues in other Western African countries to discuss ways of strengthening ethos of democratic representation governance to discourage and stop the unfortunate trends of coups in West Africa
RN
