President Bola Tinubu has approved the provision of protection and security on the premises of the Nigerian Embassy in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau for Fernando Dia Da Costa — the country’s main opposition candidate in the recently-held presidential election.
Tinubu’s decision is a proactive measure to ensure the safety of Mr Da Costa, in response to imminent threats to his life, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs — Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said in a letter addressed to the President of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) commission — Omar Alieu Touray on Monday.
Da Costa’s life is believed to be endangered following last week’s coup in Guinea Bissau believed to have been orchestrated by the country’s incumbent president — Umaro Embaló.
Embalo whose term officially ended in February, sought to be the first president in 30 years to secure a second consecutive term.
Before the coup’s announcement, Da Costa was rumoured to be leading Embaló in the November elections.
The election had pitted Embalo, candidate of the Madem‑G15 party, against Da Costa who was the leading opposition candidate of the Party for Social Renewal (PRS).
However, barely 24 hours to the declaration of the winner of the presidential election by the country’s electoral commission, Embaló announced to journalists that a coup had taken place in the country.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Jonathan, confirmed the suspicion, alleging that Embaló, who had since fled to Senegal, staged the military coup in Guinea-Bissau to avoid losing the presidential election.
According to Jonathan, the military takeover was a “ceremonial coup” and demanded that the election results should be announced.
Jonathan led the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission to monitor the presidential and legislative elections held last Sunday. He, however, returned to Nigeria on Thursday after his evacuation from the country following a military takeover.
He told journalists on Friday that he would not categorise the incident in Guinea Bissau as a conventional coup, alleging that the event was staged to derail the announcement of the election results.
He added that no military leader would allow the ousted president to communicate with the media while being held in custody.
Jonathan noted that Embaló’s swift declaration that he had been “arrested,” despite freely speaking to international media on his phone, cast doubt on the plausibility of the claim.
“It is painful for me that President Embaló was the one announcing a military takeover of the government. It is totally unacceptable,” Jonathan said.
“What happened in Guinea-Bissau, I would not call it a coup; it was not a coup. For lack of a better word, I will say it was a ceremonial coup because it was President Embaló who announced the coup before the military later came up to address the world that they were in charge of the government.
“Embaló had already announced that there was a coup, which is strange. Not only announcing the coup, but Embaló, while the coup took place, was using his phone and addressing media organisations across the world that he had been arrested. I’m a Nigerian close to 70, and I know how they keep heads of dtate when a coup takes place.
“They cannot be playing pranks; nobody should call others fools. There is no way there will be a military coup at a time when they were about to announce election results, and the president was the person who announced the coup. It doesn’t happen anywhere,” Mr Jonathan added.
In Nigeria’s letter to ECOWAS, Tuggar noted that Tinubu’s decision to accommodate Mr Da Costa on the Nigerian Embassy premises in the country underscores Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding the democratic aspirations and the sovereign will of the people of Guinea-Bissau.
The letter read, “I write to inform you that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCON, has graciously approved the provision of protection and security in the premises of the Nigerian Embassy in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, for Mr. Fernando Dia Da Costa.
“Mr President’s decision is a proactive measure to ensure the safety of Mr. Da Costa, in response to imminent threats to his life. The decision to accommodate Mr. Da Costa within the Nigerian premises underscores our firm commitment to safeguarding the democratic aspirations and the sovereign will of the good people of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.
“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. Please, accept Dear President, the assurances of my highest consideration,” Tuggar noted.
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