Coup: Nigeria Grants Asylum to Guinea-Bissau Opposition Presidential Candidate
- Nigeria granted asylum to opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa after threats to his life and unrest in Guinea-Bissau
- President Tinubu approved protection for da Costa as ECOWAS and Nigeria called for a return to constitutional order
- ECOWAS suspended Guinea-Bissau following the coup and awaited steps toward restoring democratic governance
The Nigerian embassy in Guinea-Bissau has granted asylum to Fernando Dias da Costa, the country’s opposition presidential candidate, following alleged threats to his life after last week’s military coup.
Nigerian embassy offers protection
Source: Twitter
Diplomatic sources confirmed that Mr da Costa sought refuge at the Nigerian mission in Bissau shortly after soldiers announced they had taken control of the Portuguese-speaking West African nation.
The coup occurred just days after Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election, in which both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his main challenger, Mr da Costa, declared victory before the official results were released.
Nigeria expressed deep concern over the situation, urging a swift return to constitutional governance.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria calls for an immediate restoration of constitutional order. We will work with regional partners to ensure a swift return to normalcy," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Tinubu approves asylum request
In a letter addressed to Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had authorised asylum for Mr da Costa.
“The decision of the President was based on credible threats made against Mr da Costa’s life,” Mr Tuggar wrote in the letter dated 30 November.
He requested that the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau provide security for the opposition candidate while he remains on the embassy premises.
Nigeria says move is in regional interest
Mr Tuggar’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, verified the authenticity of the letter, stressing that Nigeria’s actions were consistent with its role in West Africa.
“The decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to grant asylum and provide protection to Mr Fernando Dias da Costa falls squarely within Nigeria’s sovereign responsibility and longstanding commitment to regional peace, stability, and democratic governance,” Mr Abdulkadir said.
He added:
“Acting in the broader interest of de-escalation, Nigeria exercised its lawful discretion to prevent further deterioration of tensions and to promote social cohesion in Guinea-Bissau and the wider West African sub-region.”
ECOWAS responds with suspension
Source: Twitter
Following the coup, ECOWAS held an emergency virtual summit of heads of state and government to assess the crisis. The regional bloc subsequently announced the suspension of Guinea-Bissau from its activities until constitutional order is restored.
ECOWAS stated that the suspension would remain in force pending clear steps by the junta toward returning the country to democratic governance.
Source: Legit.ng
