Former Nigerian presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has questioned the circumstances surrounding the recently thwarted coup attempt in the Republic of Benin, hinting that President Patrice Talon may have had prior knowledge of the plot—or may even have allowed it to proceed—as part of a broader political strategy.
In a post on 𝕏, Sowore, who is known for his sharp criticism of West African political elites, suggested that the Talon administration could have exploited the failed coup as a smokescreen. According to him, the incident may have been convenient for diverting public attention from the president’s declining popularity and for justifying intensified crackdowns on opposition figures.
Sowore wrote that there were “strong indications” that Talon, whom he described as a “shady figure” and a close ally of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, might have allowed the plot to develop before using it to consolidate power. He argued that such tactics are consistent with previous actions by the Beninese leader aimed at restricting political dissent.
Expanding on his claim, Sowore asserted that political instability can sometimes be intentionally manufactured by leaders seeking to strengthen their grip on power. In such cases, he said, disorder becomes a calculated survival mechanism rather than a genuine threat to democratic governance.
Despite his criticism, Sowore reiterated his unwavering opposition to military rule, stressing that coups—whether genuine, manipulated, or politically exploited—do not offer real solutions to a nation’s challenges. He insisted that democratic accountability, civic engagement, and grassroots mobilization remain the legitimate paths to addressing failures of civilian leadership.
He wrote that the antidote to ineffective governance is “not guns, military jackboots, and camouflage,” but rather a sustained commitment to democratic principles driven by the people.
Sowore also drew parallels between the situation in Benin and recent events in Guinea-Bissau, where an attempted coup was widely viewed as a political ploy. He argued that the former president of Guinea-Bissau appeared to use the military to undermine an election process that would have handed victory to a popular opposition candidate. In both cases, he claimed, the military was used not to restore order but to obstruct democratic progress.
According to Sowore, these incidents highlight a troubling pattern in parts of West Africa, where leaders may resort to engineered crises as a way to retain power and suppress genuine political change.
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