In a significant diplomatic move, Nigeria has provided political asylum to Fernando Dias, a presidential contender from Guinea-Bissau, following a military takeover that disrupted the electoral process. The 47-year-old candidate from the Party for Social Renewal sought refuge at the Nigerian embassy in Bissau after reporting direct threats to his safety.
The political crisis erupted when military forces suspended the electoral proceedings three days after the November 23 presidential vote, blocking the release of election results that both Dias and incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló had claimed to win. The junta justified its intervention as necessary to prevent what it described as a plot to destabilize the politically volatile nation.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar confirmed the protective measures, stating President Bola Tinubu authorized Dias’s sanctuary at the embassy compound. “This decision demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting democratic aspirations and the sovereign will of Guinea-Bissau’s people,” Tuggar communicated to the ECOWAS Commission.
The military regime has implemented stringent measures including a ban on public demonstrations and installed General Horta N’Tam as transitional leader for a one-year period. Meanwhile, ECOWAS mediators led by Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba have engaged in tense negotiations with the junta, described as “productive” yet contentious.
International scrutiny intensifies as Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and former Nigerian leader Goodluck Jonathan have suggested the coup might be fabricated, though without presenting substantiating evidence. Local civil society organizations have accused Embaló of orchestrating a “simulated coup” to manipulate electoral outcomes—allegations the president has not addressed.
Embaló, who departed for Senegal before reportedly continuing to Congo-Brazzaville, has historically faced accusations of exploiting crises to suppress opposition. The current turmoil adds to Guinea-Bissau’s extensive history of political instability, with at least nine coups or attempted takeovers since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.
ECOWAS has suspended Guinea-Bissau from all decision-making bodies pending restoration of constitutional order, while deploying security personnel to protect the Nigerian embassy where Dias remains under protection.