Nigeria has granted asylum and security protection to Fernando Dias da Costa, Guinea-Bissau’s opposition presidential candidate, following reports that his life is in danger after last week’s military coup, The Cable reported on Monday.
The coup was announced by military officers on Wednesday, days after Guinea-Bissau’s disputed presidential election in which both President Umaro Embaló and his main challenger, da Costa, separately claimed victory before official results were released.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who led the ECOWAS election observer mission, cast doubt on the legitimacy of the coup, suggesting it may have been staged by Embaló himself.
Nigeria swiftly condemned the takeover and called for an immediate return to constitutional rule. In a letter dated November 30 and addressed to ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, revealed that President Bola Tinubu had approved asylum for da Costa at the Nigerian Embassy in Bissau.
According to the letter, the move was taken to shield the opposition candidate from “imminent threats” to his life.
“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu… has graciously approved the provision of protection and security in the premises of the Nigerian Embassy… for Mr. Fernando Dia Da Costa,” Tuggar wrote.
“The decision… is a proactive measure to ensure the safety of Mr. Da Costa, in response to imminent threats to his life.”
Tuggar added that housing da Costa within Nigerian diplomatic premises underscores Nigeria’s “firm commitment to safeguarding the democratic aspirations and the sovereign will of the good people of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau,” while urging ECOWAS to mandate its stabilization mission to support his protection.
The foreign minister’s special assistant on media and communications strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, confirmed the authenticity of the letter, defending Nigeria’s action as consistent with its regional leadership role.
“The decision… falls squarely within Nigeria’s sovereign responsibility and longstanding commitment to regional peace, stability, and democratic governance,” Abdulkadir said.
He added that the intervention was carried out “in the broader interest of de-escalation” to prevent the situation in Guinea-Bissau from worsening, stressing that the move aligns with ECOWAS principles and Nigeria’s reputation as a stabilizing force in West Africa.
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