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President Bola Tinubu’s prompt response to a distress call from President Patrice Tallon of the Republic of Benin, in a manner typical of Nigeria’s position on the continent, prevented rogue officers from taking control of the nation in the early hours of yesterday.
In response to the appeal 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 reinstate democracy.
The Republic of Benin’s failed coup was characterized by the federal government as a direct 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 unacceptable and a step backward that jeopardized the subregion’s socioeconomic development and hard-won democratic accomplishments.
The Benin Republic’s attempted military takeover of government was denounced by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as a betrayal of popular will.
However, the Nigerian non-governmental organization (NGO) Campaign for Democracy (CD) cautioned ECOWAS that unless African leaders adopted true good governance that would enhance the lives of their people, its regular denunciation of coups would no longer be sufficient to prevent military takeovers.
Early on Sunday morning, a group within the Benin Republic’s military had tried to remove Tallon. On Benin’s official television, the soldiers declared that they had removed Talon from office and disbanded all state institutions.
An assault on Talon’s official residence in the city, Porto-Novo, 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, and French nationals were instructed to stay indoors for safety.
The troops, purportedly under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, appeared on television, made a statement, and proclaimed that they had overthrown the president.
They had declared, “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 to reinstate democracy, the loyal military group later united around him with the assistance 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 nation and seize control of the airspace in order to assist in removing the coup plotters from the national TV station and a military camp where they had reassembled.
In a verbal message, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Benin asked Nigeria for immediate air support “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 operations under Benin-led coordination was the second request made by the country’s authorities.
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 had been met.
Oluyede declared, “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 reacting quickly to the Benin Republic government’s appeal 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 its unwavering commitment to upholding 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 said in the statement. The ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance was followed by our armed forces.
Since 1999, they have contributed to the stability of a neighboring nation and have inspired us with their dedication to upholding our democratic principles and aspirations. Nigeria firmly supports the Republic of Benin’s government and citizens.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also denounced the development in a statement that said, “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.”
“Democracy, constitutional order, and the collective will of the Beninese people—who have repeatedly shown their dedication to peaceful political transitions—are all directly attacked by this act of destabilization.
“Nigeria expresses strong support for the government and people 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 soundly defeated.
“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 continued.
“Unconstitutional changes of government are an unacceptable and retrogressive step that jeopardizes our subregion’s socioeconomic advancement and hard-won democratic gains.”
“Nigeria calls on all member states and the international community to unite in denouncing this act and reaffirming our shared commitment to the African Union’s Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance, as well as the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, as a steadfast partner within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union.”
“We urge all parties in the Republic of Benin to remain calm, uphold the rule of law, and continue to channel any political discourse through peaceful, constitutional, and democratic means,” the ministry added.
“As we work together, as brothers and partners, to deepen democracy and ensure lasting peace and prosperity for our peoples and the entire West African region, the Federal Government of Nigeria reassures the Government of the Republic of Benin of its full support and continued cooperation.”
ECOWAS: Its Subversion of the Will of the People
The attempted military takeover of the Benin Republic was denounced by ECOWAS, which described it as a betrayal of the people’s will.
The ECOWAS Commission has received news of an attempted military takeover in the Republic of Benin with dismay, according to a statement sent by the ECOWAS office in Abuja.
“ECOWAS vehemently denounces this unconstitutional action that subverts the Benin people’s will.
“ECOWAS calls for the full respect of the Constitution of Benin and salutes the efforts of the Government and the Republican Army in bringing the situation under control.
“ECOWAS holds the scheme leaders accountable for any damage and human casualties resulting from their actions, both individually and collectively.
“To protect the constitution and the territorial integrity of Benin, ECOWAS will assist the government and the people in all ways that are required, including the deployment of the regional standby force.”
In order to prevent law and order and protect constitutional democracy, ECOWAS also sent a standby force to the Benin Republic.
In its second statement, ECOWAS emphasized steps taken to prevent democracy in the Republic of Benin.
“Further to its prior announcement on the Republic of Benin, the ECOWAS Commission hereby advises the general public that:
1. In accordance with the terms of the 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 directed 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 Federal Republic of Nigeria, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, and Republic of Ghana will provide troops for the Regional Force.
“c. The Force will assist the Government and the Republican Army of Benin in maintaining the Republic of Benin’s territorial integrity and constitutional order.”
CD Says ECOWAS Should Address 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 lives of 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 reduced itself to a mere statement-issuing organization following each military incursion.
In Abuja, CD’s National President, Pastor Ifeanyi Odili, signed a statement outlining the organization’s stance.
The statement said, “ECOWAS would never serve the African people merely by denouncing coups. The political instability that is 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 public dissatisfaction throughout the region.
Any democracy that continuously causes misery to its population, in his opinion, “is destined to collapse, either through revolution or a military intervention.”
He emphasized that governments must have true popular support in order to maintain democracy.
“African politicians cannot continue to lead the continent into hardship and expect the populace to remain passive,” Odili said. When governance fails, the populace will always look for alternatives.
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 approaches the region’s governance issues.
The organization called on the regional grouping to take a zero-tolerance stance against corruption and bad leadership among presidents and other political office holders, going beyond simple denunciations.
It stated that if ECOWAS wanted to maintain democracy on the continent, it had to start demanding moral leadership, the fulfillment of electoral promises, and stringent accountability from member nations.
“Just opposing coups is insufficient. ECOWAS must demand that leaders exercise justice, fairness, and integrity in their governance. If not, coups—whether they succeed or fail—will persist, according to Odili.
He added that democracy can only last when people perceive real advantages from the system they are called to defend, and that only effective governance could protect Africa from frequent upheavals of constitutional order.
Atiku Declares It’s Concerning
The attempted coup d’état in the Benin Republic was denounced by former vice president Atiku Abubakar, who called the development—particularly the frequency of incidents—concerning.
“I condemn, without reservation and in the strongest possible terms, the coup d’état in the Benin Republic,” Atiku stated in a statement released last night.
“This irresponsible pattern of assault on constitutional order is completely intolerable, not only because of its deadly proximity, but also because military meddling in governance has long since ended in Africa and our sub-region.
The fact that these coups are occurring 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 the results of that country’s poll, while the presidential election in Benin is set for April 2026.”
“It raises fears that some political operators may be using the military to cancel the democratic processes,” stated Atiku.
“This trend needs to be stopped before it becomes the norm rather than the exception because it poses a threat to the stability of democracy in the West African subregion.
“Every decisive action must be taken to crush any emerging appetite for subverting democracy, and soldiers have no business being anywhere outside of their barracks.”
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