Nigeria grants Asylum to Guinea-Bissau opposition leader after coup
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.
The move comes in the wake of a military coup announced last Wednesday in the Portuguese-speaking West African nation, just days after its presidential election.
Both President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his main challenger, da Costa, had declared victory even before the electoral commission released official results, heightening political tensions ahead of the military takeover.
Nigeria said it was deeply concerned about the coup and called for the immediate restoration of constitutional order.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that Abuja would work with regional and international partners to ensure a “swift return” to normalcy.
In a letter addressed to Omar Touray, president of the ECOWAS Commission, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar said President Bola Tinubu had approved asylum and protection for da Costa within the Nigerian embassy in Bissau.
Tuggar said Tinubu’s decision followed credible threats to the opposition candidate’s life.
“In this regard, it would be appreciated if you would kindly mandate the ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB) to provide him protection and security while in the premises of the Nigerian embassy,” the letter, dated 30 November, read.
Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s special assistant on media and communications strategy, confirmed the authenticity of the letter to TheCable on Monday.
“The decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to grant asylum and provide protection to Mr Fernando Dia Da Costa falls squarely within Nigeria’s sovereign responsibility and longstanding commitment to regional peace, stability, and democratic governance,” Abdulkadir said in a statement.
He added that Nigeria’s intervention was aimed at preventing further escalation of tensions and promoting social cohesion in Guinea-Bissau and the wider West African sub-region. The action, he noted, aligns with ECOWAS principles and Nigeria’s role as a stabilising force in the region.
Following the coup, ECOWAS convened an emergency virtual summit of heads of state and government to assess the situation. The regional bloc later announced the suspension of Guinea-Bissau, saying the measure would remain in place until constitutional order is fully restored.
