Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the attempted coup in the Benin Republic, saying the development was a reckless assault on constitutional order.

In a statement on Sunday, Mr Abubakar decried the development as unacceptable because of its proximity to election seasons.

“I condemn, without reservation and in the strongest possible terms, the ,in the Benin Republic. This reckless trend of assault on constitutional order is utterly unacceptable, not only because of its dangerous proximity, but because the era of military interference in governance is long over in Africa and our sub-region,” the statement stated.

The former vice president said it was concerning that the coups were happening around election periods in the affected countries. 

Noting that Benin presidential election was scheduled for April 2026 while the purported military takeover in Guinea-Bissau happened on the eve of the expected announcement of the results of that country’s poll, Mr Abubakar said the development raised fears that some political operators might be using the military to cancel the democratic processes.

The politician further described the coup as dangerous to democratic survival, saying decisive measures must be taken to halt any attempts at subverting democracy.

“This trend is dangerous for the health of democracy in the West African sub-region and must be stopped before it becomes the rule and not the exception. Soldiers have no business anywhere outside their barracks, and every decisive measure must be taken to crush any emerging appetite for subverting democracy,” Mr Abubakar stated.

A group of soldiers, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Tigri Pascal, had announced a takeover of the government in what appeared to be an apparent coup in the early hours of Sunday, ousting President Patrice Talon, who was expected to complete his second term next year.

However, Mr Benin Republiclater confirmed that the attempted coup was thwarted by soldiers loyal to the president, adding that everything had returned to normal.