ECOWAS offers Gbagbo asylum in Nigeria

Cote d’Ivoire’s embattled Mr. Laurent Gbagbo

Cote d’Ivoire’s embattled Mr. Laurent Gbagbo yesterday received a letter from Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Goodluck Jonathan, assuring him and his family of political asylum in Nigeria if he hands over power to the internationally-recognised election winner, Alassane Diaby Ouattara, according to the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

ECOWAS is to hold a meeting on Friday to fashion out modalities on how to resolve the political imbroglio in Ivory Coast resulting from the presidential election in which the electoral commission declared Ouattara the winner, but Gbagbo is clinging on to the post.

Ivory Coast has been operating with two presidents and two governments since the Nov. 28 runoff election. Alassane Ouattara was declared the winner by the country’s electoral commission and was recognized by the U.N., U.S., France, the African Union [AU] and the regional body ECOWAS. Gbagbo however got the constitutional commission to annul parts of the result from Ouattara strongholds in the North and declare him the winner, the held on to power with the support of the Ivorian army.

Meanwhile, the European Union has banned Gbagbo and his allies from entry into its member countries. The United States government was also expected to shortly announce diplomatic measures taken against Gbagbo.

Also yesterday, Nigeria evacuated all its diplomats from the Ivory Coast and will bring out its other citizens there after the Nigerian embassy came under attack.

“We had to evacuate all our diplomats because our embassy in Cote d’Ivoire was attacked,” Foreign Minister Odein Ajumogobia told reporters yesterday. “Arrangements are also being made to evacuate Nigerian citizens in that country.” Ajumogobia did not say when the attack on the embassy took place or who carried it out.

Pro-Gbagbo security forces used live rounds last Thursday to put down street protests by Ouattara supporters but Gbagbo’s government has denied using excessive force.

Election commission results showed Ouattara won by about 8 percentage points. Gbagbo has claimed victory and is backed by the Constitutional Council, headed by an ally. The Council erased nearly half a million Ouattara votes, alleging fraud.