Activist Aisha Yesufu has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s deployment of Nigerian troops to the Benin Republic, describing the action as unconstitutional and a dangerous signal for Nigeria’s democracy.
In a statement issued on Monday, Yesufu argued that the deployment violates Section 5(4)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires Senate approval before the President can send armed forces outside Nigeria’s borders. She said the move fits into what she called a “disturbing trend” of executive excesses under the current administration.
Yesufu also drew attention to the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, claiming it similarly raised questions over adherence to constitutional procedures.
According to her, bypassing the National Assembly and eroding institutional checks and balances could create room for unilateral governance.
She warned that sending troops abroad without legislative approval could establish a precedent for using the military domestically against dissent, drag Nigeria into external conflicts without public consent, and expose soldiers to avoidable dangers.
“Nigeria’s armed forces are not a private militia to be dispatched on whims,” she said, stressing that resources channelled into foreign interventions are urgently needed to tackle insecurity within the country.
Yesufu warned that sidelining the legislature undermines democratic norms and sends a message that those in power can choose when to obey the rule of law.
She called on the National Assembly to “assert its constitutional authority” and prevent what she described as a slide toward authoritarianism disguised as regional security cooperation.
“Mr Tinubu is steadily weakening the constitutional role of the National Assembly, which exists to prevent executive overreach and, by so doing, weakening democracy. This unilateral decision by Mr Tinubu to deploy the military outside of Nigeria without approval of the National Assembly and with no threat to national security has harmful impact on Nigeria.
“If Mr Tinubu can deploy troops abroad without the consent of the National Assembly, what stops him from using the military domestically against dissent without oversight? We will end up with a militarized democracy,” she wrote.