Activist Aisha Yesufu has criticised President Bola Tinubu for deploying Nigerian troops to the Benin Republic, calling the move unconstitutional and a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

Yesufu, in a statement on Monday, said the deployment violated Section 5(4)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires Senate approval before the President can send armed forces outside the country. She described the move as part of a “disturbing trend” of executive overreach.

She also referenced the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which she said had similarly raised concerns over constitutional compliance.

According to her, the alleged sidelining of the National Assembly and weakening of institutional checks and balances could pave the way for unilateral governance.

She warned that deploying troops abroad without legislative approval could set a precedent for domestic use of the military against dissent, drag Nigeria into foreign conflicts without public mandate, and expose soldiers to unnecessary risks.

Yesufu said Nigeria’s armed forces “are not a private militia to be dispatched on whims,” adding that resources committed to foreign interventions were needed to address insecurity at home.

She argued that bypassing the legislature undermines democratic principles and signals that the rule of law is optional for those in power.

The activist called on the National Assembly to “assert its constitutional authority” and safeguard Nigeria’s democracy, urging it not to allow what she described as a slide towards authoritarianism under the guise of regional security efforts.

“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 the 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 and we will end up with a militarized democracy,” Yesufu wrote.