Nigeria has offered refuge to Fernando Costa, the leading opposition candidate in Guinea-Bissau’s disputed presidential election, following credible intelligence that his life is in danger after last week’s military takeover.
Costa was the main challenger to incumbent President Umaro Embaló in the November 23 election.
But before the results could be announced, the military seized power, halted the electoral process, and declared a nationwide curfew, a move regional leaders have condemned as a blatant coup.
In a letter addressed to ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray and dated November 30, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had authorised Costa’s placement under special protection at the Nigerian Embassy in Bissau.
According to the letter, Nigeria’s decision underscores its commitment to safeguarding democratic institutions and protecting political actors at risk in West Africa.
The government also appealed to ECOWAS to deploy its Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau to bolster security around Costa within the embassy compound.
Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau’s military junta has intensified its crackdown ahead of an expected ECOWAS mediation visit, banning public protests, strikes and any activity considered a threat to “peace and stability.”
Government ministries and public offices have been ordered to reopen as the new rulers tighten their grip on the state.
The announcement came after hundreds of young demonstrators rallied in Bissau over the weekend, demanding the release of detained opposition figures and the publication of the still-withheld election results.
A high-level ECOWAS delegation, comprising the presidents of Togo, Cape Verde and Senegal, along with the ECOWAS Commission president, was scheduled to arrive on Monday to press the junta to restore constitutional governance and make the election outcome public.
The regional bloc has threatened sanctions against anyone obstructing democratic processes.
In a televised statement, interim leader Major-General Horta Inta-a defended the coup, claiming it was necessary to prevent “narcotraffickers” from manipulating the democratic system.
He announced that the military-led transition would last one year.
