Ex-Lawmaker Claims Tinubu Acted Within Constitutional Powers in Benin Coup Issue

A former federal legislator and political analyst, Prof. Mojeed Alabi, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to send Nigerian military assets to the Republic of Benin, insisting that the move is permitted under the 1999 Constitution.

Speaking on Tuesday during an appearance on Frontline, a public affairs programme aired on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Alabi said the Constitution gives the President room to act swiftly during emergencies.

According to him, critics are misinterpreting the law. He explained that the Commander-in-Chief is allowed to deploy troops when urgent threats arise, noting that the only constitutional restriction is that the National Assembly must be informed if the troops remain on foreign soil for more than a week.

“The issue people keep quoting is not what the Constitution actually says,” he noted. “The President can take immediate action; what the law demands is notification after seven days if the deployment is sustained.”

Alabi argued that security crises often require quick decisions that cannot wait for parliamentary debate. He added that once troops are sent to stabilise a situation, the next step is formal communication to the National Assembly, which may then approve or reject the mission.

“If leaders had to wait for lawmakers to sit, argue and pass resolutions before responding to emergencies, nations would crumble,” he said. “Globally, governments act first and brief the public later. Even during the U.S. operation against Osama bin Laden, citizens only learned about it after it was over.”

Addressing concerns that the government seems more responsive to threats outside the country than domestic insecurity, he explained that internal threats are harder to confront because groups like Boko Haram and bandits operate in forests and difficult terrain that complicate tracking and engagement.

On the recent increase in coups across West Africa, Alabi said the trend reflects rising frustration among citizens battling economic hardship and unmet expectations. He cautioned that military regimes historically deepen inequality and worsen poverty.

“These coups are being cheered by young people who assume soldiers can magically reduce the price of rice overnight,” he stated. “Many didn’t witness life under Abacha, so they romanticise military rule. With a civilian government, you can vote out a bad leader; with the military, you have no such option.”

He also faulted the behaviour of voters, arguing that the public shares some responsibility for governance failures.

People complain about leaders, but followers also influence how leaders behave,” he said. “Once you accept money for votes, you give up your right to demand accountability. Politics becomes a business transaction, and good governance becomes impossible.