Tinubu’s Guinean passport is “diplomatic passport”, Embassy confirms

The Embassy of the Republic of Guinea in Abuja, Nigeria, has confirmed that the Guinean passport purportedly belonging to Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is actually a diplomatic passport.

The Guinean Embassy made the confirmation following a Freedom of Information application written to the diplomatic corp by TrackNews correspondent.

The application entitled “Freedom of Information Act Inquiry over Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Guinean citizenship” sought to obtain information on the passport which has been trending online.

The application reads in part: “The Freedom of Information Act 2011 of the laws of the Federation of Nigeria is an Act to make public records and information more freely available, provide for public access to public records and information, protect public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy.

“On the basis of the above-mentioned subject, I write to obtain detailed information on the attached document attached below which has been trending online for some time.

According to the document, Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a citizen of Guinea, besides being a citizen of Nigeria.

“Can you kindly clarify the said issue to enable me provide accurate information to the reading public?

“I will appreciate your doing in line with the Freedom of Information Act.”

Responding, the Embassy of the Republic of Guinea stated that “the diplomatic passport is issued only by the Presidency of the Republic.”

It, however, failed to “confirm the authenticity of this passport.”

The Embassy wrote: “We inform you that in the Republic of Guinea, the diplomatic passport is issued only by the Presidency of the Republic.

“Therefore, we regret that we cannot confirm the authenticity of this passport.