Former President Goodluck Jonathan arrived safely back in Nigeria yesterday after being evacuated from Guinea-Bissau, where he had been serving on a joint election observation mission. He returned alongside the heads of the African Union Election Observation Mission, the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, and the West African Elders Forum.
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Jonathan expressed concern over the coup d’etat carried out by the armed forces of Guinea-Bissau, warning that the development threatens democratic stability in the region.
The Nigerian Government also condemned the coup, describing it as an unconstitutional change of government and a danger to West Africa’s security and democratic progress.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu joined other Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in an extraordinary virtual summit convened on Thursday to address the escalating political crisis. The coup unfolded on Wednesday after both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias declared victory in Sunday’s presidential election, despite official results not yet being released.
In a swift move, the military authorities in Guinea-Bissau named and swore in Army General Horta N’Tam previously head of the presidential guard as transitional head of state for one year.
Jonathan, who travelled to Bissau as part of a joint AU-ECOWAS-WAEF observer delegation, was initially unable to leave the country after the military shut land, air, and sea borders and imposed a nationwide curfew.
Earlier yesterday, the House of Representatives urged the Federal Government to take urgent diplomatic steps to secure his safe return.
In a joint statement, Filipe Nyusi, former President of Mozambique; Issifu Kamara; and Jonathan said they observed a peaceful voting process before the coup disrupted the election.
“We commend the people of Guinea-Bissau for their strong civic engagement,” they said. “Despite these encouraging developments, we express deep concern with the announcement of a coup d’etat while the nation was waiting for the results.”
The missions called on the AU and ECOWAS to take necessary steps to restore constitutional order and demanded the immediate release of detained electoral officials.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, condemned the coup “with profound dismay and deep concern,” insisting that the military action undermines constitutional order, threatens stability, and must be reversed.
The Federal Government demanded the immediate restoration of democracy and the safety of all persons detained by the junta.
Later in the day, Ebienfa confirmed Jonathan’s evacuation, stating that the former President “is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau.”
Within Guinea-Bissau, a coalition of civil society groups known as the Popular Front alleged that the ousted President Embaló staged a “simulated coup” to prevent the announcement of election results in the event of his defeat.
“This manoeuvre aims to prevent the publication of the electoral results,” the coalition claimed.
President Tinubu participated in Thursday’s emergency ECOWAS meeting via Zoom, joining other regional leaders seeking diplomatic solutions. A photograph released by the State House showed Tinubu attending from Abuja.
Tinubu, who chaired the ECOWAS Authority for two consecutive terms until June 2025, has been involved in several regional efforts to curb the recent wave of coups across West Africa. The emergency summit signalled ECOWAS’ determination to prevent further destabilisation.
Jonathan touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday after his evacuation. His mission delegation had remained in Guinea-Bissau until the situation became unsafe following the military takeover.
In their joint statement, Nyusi, Kamara and Jonathan urged the people of Guinea-Bissau to remain calm and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the country “during this sensitive period,” stressing the need to protect peace and stability.
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