Dare Babalola
The Nigerian government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has approved security measures to protect Mr. Fernando Dia Da Costa, a presidential candidate in Guinea-Bissau’s November 2025 general elections, following imminent threats to his life.
In a letter addressed to H.E. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, requested that the ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB) provide security for Da Costa while he takes refuge in the Nigerian Embassy in Bissau.
The letter, dated 30th November 2025, cites “imminent threats to his life” as the reason for the protective measures, emphasising Nigeria’s “firm commitment to safeguarding the democratic aspirations and the sovereign will of the people of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.”
The arrangement involves accommodating Da Costa within the Nigerian diplomatic premises, leveraging Nigeria’s diplomatic presence to ensure his safety.
In the correspondence, Tuggar requested Touray to mandate ESSMGB personnel to guard Da Costa at the embassy, stressing the importance of protecting candidates in the electoral process.
“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,” the letter reads.
The ECOWAS Commission and ESSMGB are yet to publicly comment on the request.
Recall that military officers in Guinea-Bissau declared “total control” of the coup-prone West African country last Wednesday, closing its borders and suspending its electoral process three days after general elections.
Their announcement followed heavy gunfire that rang out near the presidential palace earlier in the day, with men in military uniform taking over the main road leading to the building.
In the early afternoon, General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, told members of the press that a command “composed of all branches of the armed forces, was taking over the leadership of the country until further notice”.
