Nigeria Grants Asylum to Guinea-Bissau Opposition Candidate
Nigeria has offered asylum and protection to Fernando Dias da Costa, the opposition presidential candidate in Guinea-Bissau, following threats to his life after last week’s military coup, The Cable reported on Monday.
The coup was announced on Wednesday by a group of military officers, coming just days after Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election. Both incumbent President Umaro Embaló and the main opposition candidate, da Costa, had claimed victory even before official results were released.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who led the ECOWAS election observer mission, raised doubts about the legitimacy of the coup, suggesting it may have been orchestrated by President Embaló himself.
Nigeria strongly condemned the military takeover and called for an immediate return to constitutional governance.
In a letter dated November 30 to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had approved asylum for da Costa at the Nigerian Embassy in Bissau.
According to Tuggar, the move was taken in response to credible threats to da Costa’s safety.
“I write to inform you that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCON, has graciously approved the provision of protection and security in the premises of the Nigerian Embassy in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau for Mr. Fernando Dia Da Costa. Mr. President’s decision is a proactive measure to ensure the safety of Mr. Da Costa in response to imminent threats to his life,” the letter read.
