The 2023 Young Progressives Party (YPP) presidential candidate, Malik Ado-Ibrahim, has praised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to deploy Nigerian troops to the Benin Republic during the recent coup attempt.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the security consultant described the move as “a very wise and clever, well-designed political statement.”
Ado-Ibrahim added on Tuesday that the deployment was aimed at protecting Nigeria’s economic interests and reinforcing regional stability.
“It was not only a message to other African countries that think we are weak in our national defence, but also a step to save our country and its economy.
“Lagos needed protection, and the rights given to him under ECOWAS allowed him to make that decision quickly,” he said.
He argued that Tinubu acted within regional protocols.
“I think the President did the right thing. One of the premium edicts from the civil war was the country-centric circle. The countries around us must remain protected because that reinforces our democracy.
“The President going into Benin created a parallel between seeking Senate permission and knowing that ECOWAS rules allow such action. Benin sits close to the centre of Nigeria’s economy, next to Lagos. We must ensure that area is protected, and many have forgotten how close we came to destroying Lagos’s economic lifeline,” he stated.
Ado-Ibrahim also expressed concerns about Nigeria’s internal security structure.
He said the country’s biggest challenge remained weak intelligence capacity.
“Our problem is not troop motivation. We have very capable soldiers. We also have credible advantages with the air force and an air superiority the enemy does not possess.
“We are lacking simple things needed to defeat these issues on the ground. Most of it lies in intelligence gathering, and the lack of it limits our ability to act as swiftly as we did in Benin over the weekend,” he said.
The remarks follow the Sunday’s coup attempt in Benin, where soldiers led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri seized the state-run television station in Cotonou and declared the removal of President Patrice Talon.
Loyalist forces, backed by Nigerian troops and an ECOWAS standby unit, crushed the uprising within hours.
Several people were killed, and at least 14 suspects were arrested, while Tigri remains on the run.
The coup plotters cited worsening security, unfair promotions, and restrictions affecting the 2026 presidential election.
The African Union, United Nations, European Union, and ECOWAS condemned the coup, as Nigeria and ECOWAS intervened militarily to restore order.
