The African Union Ambassador, Ousmane Yara has revealed how President-elect, Bola Tinubu got his Guinean citizenship.
Reports had emerged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Candidate is a dual citizen.
There had been controversy following the discovery of the passport after a viral video of him and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a helicopter belonging to the Guinean government.
Speaking to the Sun, Yara said Tinubu got his Guinean citizenship because the former President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, saw him as a special envoy.
He stressed that Tinubu’s recognition was as Ambassador extraordinaire (special envoy) of Guinea.
According to him, Tinubu is the biggest pan-Africanist and was given the “Special Envoy” status by Conde as a show of appreciation for supporting African presidents.
Confirming the viral video, he said Tinubu visited Guinea in 2016 as a guest of then-President Conde during the country’s independence anniversary celebration.
”President Conde invited Tinubu to the independence anniversary. Since the official function at every independence anniversary was done in different regions, Tinubu was required to fly from the country’s capital, in a helicopter, to Mamu, where that year’s event was held. That was the video being circulated. At the independence anniversary celebration, President Conde gave Tinubu the honour and privilege of a president, in appreciation of what he did for him during his reelection bid and towards the economic development of Guinea,” he said.
He added that the governments extend honorary citizenship to important people who may not be their citizens as a mark of recognition of their contributions to socio-economic and political developments in the countries, which does not make such persons citizens of the countries.
