The Federal Government has been commended for its quick and decisive intervention in quelling the attempted coup in Benin Republic.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC made the commendation but also called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to demonstrate the same level of urgency in tackling Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the government’s rapid response in Benin Republic starkly contrasts with what it described as the “slow, inconsistent, and often haphazard” approach to combating banditry, terrorism, and violent crime within its own Country.
According to Abdullahi, while the decisive intervention helped safeguard democracy in a neighbouring country, it has raised pressing questions at home.
“Many Nigerians are asking why the government could move so swiftly in Benin but has failed to respond with similar urgency to the banditry and violent crimes that continue to ravage communities across our country,” the statement read.
The ADC also queried Nigeria’s hesitation during the Guinea-Bissau crisis particularly when a former Nigerian President was caught in the instability.
“It exposed inconsistencies in the nation’s foreign intervention strategy and such contradictions fuel suspicions that external influence may have shaped the rapid response in Benin” it stated.
While acknowledging the importance of defending democracy in the region, the party stressed that true leadership should begin at home.
“A government that can act promptly abroad must also act decisively within its own borders,”.
“The protection of Nigerian lives and the restoration of security must take precedence” the statement read.
The party further urged the Federal Government to ensure that the President’s unilateral military deployment to Benin is subjected to National Assembly ratification in accordance with constitutional provisions.
Reiterating its stance against unconstitutional power grabs, the ADC said the most effective barrier against military interventions remains good governance, one that improves citizens’ lives, tolerates dissent, and strengthens democratic institutions.
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