Abuja, Nigeria — Nigeria has granted protection to Fernando Dias, Guinea-Bissau’s opposition presidential candidate, at its embassy in Bissau following last week’s military coup, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday, December 1, 2025.
The move comes as West African leaders, led by Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, intensify diplomatic efforts to persuade the coup leaders to relinquish power.
During a tense meeting in Bissau on Monday, December 1, 2025, described by a Reuters witness as heated, with raised voices and moments of confrontation, officials from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) urged the military to allow the proclamation of results from the disputed November 23 presidential election.
“ECOWAS … demands the restoration of constitutional order, as well as the continuation and logical conclusion of the electoral process,” said Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba after the discussions.
Kabba added that Guinea-Bissau’s political future would be deliberated at an ECOWAS heads of state conference scheduled for December 14, warning that the bloc could impose sanctions if the junta refuses to comply.
The soldiers who seized power have installed Major-General Horta Inta-a as interim president. Inta-a justified the coup as necessary to thwart what he called a plot by “narcotraffickers to capture Guinean democracy,” and promised a one-year transition period.
Nigeria Moves to Protect Dias
Fernando Dias, 47, a relative newcomer to politics, claimed he was on track to win the presidency before the coup halted the electoral process. His coalition has accused ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of orchestrating the military intervention to prevent the announcement of results confirming his defeat.
In a statement dated November 30, Nigeria’s foreign ministry said President Bola Tinubu had approved the protection request for Dias due to “imminent threats to his life.” The ministry also called for the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force to safeguard Dias and ensure his security.
Junta Tightens Control
The military government has since imposed strict measures banning protests, strikes, and any activities deemed threats to peace and stability.
The ban followed weekend demonstrations in Bissau, where hundreds — mostly young people — demanded the release of detained opposition leaders and the publication of the presidential election results.
Guinea-Bissau remains one of West Africa’s most unstable nations, plagued by a long history of military coups and a reputation as a key transit hub for cocaine trafficking.
Regional observers warn that the latest coup further undermines democratic progress in the subregion and heightens security concerns across the ECOWAS bloc.
