Restoring constitutional order in Benin Republic and the next steps, by Stella-Din Jacob
Yesterday’s attempted coup d”etat practically on Nigeria’s door step brought to the fore the fragile nature of democracy across many countries that make up the sub- region and beyond – and with it, yet another reminder that the will of the people must always prevail through that process where leaders are elected or ousted in a manner prescribed by the constitution .
Nigeria rose to the ocassion as the undisputed force and Leader in its rapid and effective deployment of military personnel to repel mutinous soldiers and ethrone the rule of law restoring Patrice Talon and a way of life that the Beninoise have come to terms with in three and a half decades.
“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’ These were the words of President Bola Tinubu… our Commander in Chief as he honoured the requests to save the day from a brother Head of State.
While the belligerents may have been routed and it seems superficially that democracy has been salvaged , it begs a few questions that must be answered with clarity and sincerity ;
📌The Government of Patrice Talon has been accused of gross violations of the highest order , the clampdown on opposition parties and dissenting voices top on the list of grievances that may be a cauldron that will boil and spill over if urgent steps are not taken to broker tangible and lasting peace
📌The mood on the streets also suggest the desperate need to step out of the shadow of Benin’s colonial past and for independent thinking sans the recourse to Paris … indeed , Nigeria responded without procrastination or delay and for some , the accolades are misplaced to feed a certain mindset far removed from the reality of events as they unfolded
📌What is likely to happen if the soldiers who dared to challenge the lawfkl order dare to strike again ?As the case may be , Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea( in the throes of transition) are all ruled by military regimes . We saw the Guinea Bissau scenario unfold where a so called democrat chose to truncate the very process which gave him legitimacy and again ridicule the institution on the global stage .
📌With ECOWAS grappling with the departure of Niger,Mali and Burkina Faso it begs the question how do governments in West Africa intend to confront the hydra headed security challenges ocassioned by this fall out … We saw what the fall of Muammar Ghaddafi portended and how that ‘safe corridor became open season for non state actors, weapons brokers and cartels to ply their trade and distabilise Sahelian States which till date is felt even in our own backyard
It may not be enough to reinstate Monsieur le President Talon- who now polices peace, tolerance, reconciliation and the preservation of democracy?
Nigeria has started it… it must be sustained.
–Jacob is the former Editor-in-Chief of TV Continental
