Nigeria offers asylum to Guinea-Bissau presidential candidate following coup

Nigeria has extended asylum to Fernando Dias, a presidential hopeful from Guinea-Bissau, just days after a military coup disrupted the announcement of recent election results. Dias, 47, representing the Party for Social Renewal, had been placed under protective care at the Nigerian embassy due to threats against him, according to Nigerias Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar.

Dias was the primary rival to Umaro Sissoco Embal, who was seeking a second term and has since left the country following the coup. A delegation from the West African bloc ECOWAS visited Guinea-Bissau, urging the military to step down and release the election results.

Both Dias and Embal had claimed victory in the presidential vote held on 23 November. Meanwhile, the PAIGC party, which historically led Guinea-Bissau to independence from Portugal, had been prohibited from nominating a candidate.

The military coup occurred three days after the election, suspending the electoral process and blocking the announcement of results, claiming it was preventing a plot to destabilize the nation. The junta also imposed strict measures, banning protests and any actions deemed disruptive to peace and stability. Tensions remain high in Bissau, the capital.

The PAIGC reported that its headquarters were forcibly entered by heavily armed militias following the coup. Party leader Domingos Pereira was arrested on the same day, according to family and party sources.

Dias stated that he fled from his campaign headquarters when armed men attempted to detain him. Nigerias Foreign Minister Tuggar confirmed that President Bola Tinubu authorized protection for Dias at the Nigerian embassy in Bissau. Tuggar emphasized in a letter to ECOWAS Commission President Alieu Omar Touray that hosting Dias demonstrates Nigerias dedication to protecting the democratic aspirations of the people of Guinea-Bissau. The letter also requested ECOWAS troops to be deployed to the embassy to ensure Dias safety.

Negotiations between the ECOWAS delegation, led by Sierra Leone's Foreign Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba, and the junta were reportedly tense but "productive," according to Kabba. The junta has installed Gen Horta N'Tam as a transitional leader, who will govern for one year. ECOWAS has suspended Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies until constitutional order is restored.

The coups true motives remain uncertain, with speculation that it may have been staged. Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan suggested the coup was fabricated, without providing evidence. Local civil society groups also accused Embal of orchestrating a "simulated coup" to prevent unfavorable election results from being released. Embal, 53, left for Senegal and then reportedly moved to Congo-Brazzaville.

Guinea-Bissau has experienced at least nine coups or attempted coups in the last 50 years. Positioned between Senegal and Guinea, the country is known as a hub for drug trafficking and has had a historically powerful military since its independence from Portugal in 1974.

Author: Sophia Brooks