AU ambassador reveals how Tinubu got Guinean passport, dual citizenship

Recently, there has been a lot of buzz on social media about the Guinean citizenship of Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Tinubu.

This conversation was spurred by a viral video showing Tinubu, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ambassador of African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, Ousmane Yara, flying in a helicopter belonging to the Guinean government.

In response to this, Yara has disclosed that Tinubu was made a citizen of Guinea, after his visit to the country as a guest of former President Alpha Conde during the country’s independence anniversary celebration in 2016.

He further revealed that Tinubu’s presence at Guinea’s independence anniversary celebration was his second, as he had visited the country for the first time in 2015 when he hosted former President Conde in Lagos.

Yara explained that Tinubu’s visit to Guinea in 2015 was as a result of a meeting facilitated by one of Tinubu’s aides, who is now a minister in the Nigerian government.

The meeting was between President Conde and Tinubu, who had organised a dinner in honour of the Guinean President, who was going for reelection at the time.

Tinubu subsequently visited Guinea about a month to the election for President Conde’s second term, with a team of economic experts and businessmen, to discuss how the country could harness its resources for economic development.

According to Yara, President Conde recognised Tinubu as a pan-Africanist and awarded him the status of a “Special Envoy”.

Tinubu was also given the honour and privilege of a president at the independence anniversary celebration, in appreciation of his support towards President Conde’s reelection bid and the economic development of Guinea.

It is important to note that having dual citizenship is not a crime, as it is recognised by many countries. However, it is essential to adhere to the laws and regulations governing both countries, as failure to do so could lead to legal implications.