The Nigerian embassy in Guinea-Bissau has granted asylum to Fernando Dias da Costa, the country’s opposition presidential candidate, over alleged threats to his life.
The development comes after military officers announced a coup in the Portuguese-speaking West African nation last Wednesday.
The coup took place days after the country’s presidential elections.
President Umaro Embaló and da Costa, his main opponent, had both declared victory before the electoral commission could announce the results.
Nigeria said it was deeply concerned about the coup and called for an immediate restoration of constitutional order.
The ministry of foreign affairs also said it would work closely with partners to take all necessary measures to ensure a “swift return” to normalcy.
In a letter addressed to Omar Touray, president of the ECOWAS commission, Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs, said President Bola Tinubu had approved da Costa’s protection within the Nigerian embassy in Guinea-Bissau.
Tuggar, in the letter dated November 30, said Tinubu’s decision was in response to threats made against da Costa’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 said.
Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s special assistant on media and communications strategy, confirmed the letter’s authenticity 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.
“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.”
Abdulkadir said the intervention is guided by the imperatives of peace, human security, and regional stability, in line with ECOWAS principles and Nigeria’s role as a stabilising force in West Africa.
After the coup, the regional bloc convened an emergency virtual summit of heads of state and government on the situation.
ECOWAS later suspended Guinea-Bissau from the bloc, noting that the action would last until constitutional order is restored in the country.
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