Jonathan arrives Nigeria after Guinea-Bissau sudden military takeover — Foreign Ministry
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that former President Goodluck Jonathan has been safely evacuated from Guinea-Bissau following Wednesday’s military coup, which abruptly halted the country’s electoral process and plunged the small West African nation into uncertainty.
In a statement on Thursday, ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa assured the public that Jonathan, who had been in the country heading an election observation mission, departed Bissau aboard a special flight along with members of his delegation. According to Ebienfa, the former Nigerian leader is “very safe” and in no danger.
Jonathan had travelled to Guinea-Bissau as the head of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observation Mission, monitoring last Sunday’s presidential and legislative polls when the military announced it was assuming control of the state.
The political crisis escalated mid-week when senior military officers declared that the armed forces were taking full control of the country “until further notice.”
General Denis N’Canha, who heads the presidential military office, told journalists that a command structure comprising all branches of the security forces had assumed authority, suspended the electoral process, and closed national borders.
The upheaval included the arrest of incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who was widely expected to perform strongly in the election.
On Thursday, the junta appointed General Horta N’Tam, the army chief of staff, as interim national leader for a one-year transitional period.
Reacting to the developments, the Federal Government of Nigeria issued a strong condemnation of the takeover, describing it as an unacceptable regression for a region that has struggled to consolidate democratic gains.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, in the strongest possible terms, condemns this act of military insurrection,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.
The statement criticised the coup as a direct contravention of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which rejects unconstitutional changes of government.
Nigeria also called for the immediate reinstatement of constitutional rule, the safety of all detained officials, and renewed respect for national institutions.
Regional and international election observers also voiced concern. Observers from ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), and the West African Elders Forum issued a joint communiqué urging the military junta to free all detained government figures and respect the will of voters.
The statement, endorsed by Jonathan; former Mozambican president and head of the AU mission, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi; and Issifu Baba Braimah Kamara, who leads the ECOWAS observer team, lamented that the coup occurred just after both leading presidential candidates had expressed their readiness to accept the election results.
The observers described the military’s action as a “blatant attempt to derail democracy,” and appealed to ECOWAS and the AU to take immediate steps to restore constitutional governance.
