Nigeria Grants Asylum to Guinea-Bissau Opposition Candidate Amid Post-Coup Threats
The Federal Government of Nigeria has granted temporary asylum and protection to Guinea-Bissau opposition presidential candidate Fernando Dias da Costa inside its embassy in Bissau, following credible threats to his life in the wake of last week’s military coup.
The decision was communicated in an official letter dated November 30, 2025, from Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray.
In the letter, Tuggar stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had personally approved the measure “as a proactive step to ensure the safety of Mr. da Costa in response to imminent threats to his life.”
The dramatic development comes less than a week after military officers in Guinea-Bissau announced they had seized power on November 26, just days after a tightly contested presidential run-off in which both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and challenger Fernando Dias da Costa claimed victory before the National Elections Commission released official results.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who headed the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, publicly questioned the authenticity of the coup, suggesting it may have been orchestrated by President Embaló himself.
Nigeria swiftly condemned the military takeover and called for an immediate restoration of constitutional order.
In his letter, Minister Tuggar emphasized that sheltering da Costa inside the Nigerian diplomatic mission “underscores our firm commitment to safeguarding the democratic aspirations and the sovereign will of the good people of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.”
The minister further requested that the ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau be instructed to provide additional security for da Costa while he remains on Nigerian embassy premises.
Confirming the letter’s authenticity on Monday, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister, Alkasim Abdulkadir, described the move as consistent with Nigeria’s historic role in promoting regional peace and democracy.
“Nigeria’s decision falls squarely within our sovereign responsibility and longstanding commitment to regional peace, stability, and democratic governance,” Abdulkadir said. “It is a measured action taken in the broader interest of de-escalation, to prevent further deterioration of tensions and to promote social cohesion in Guinea-Bissau and the wider West African sub-region.”
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