Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has safely returned to Nigeria after being caught in the political turmoil in Guinea-Bissau, where the military staged a coup d’état. Jonathan, who was in the country as part of a joint election observation mission from the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), expressed deep concern over the takeover.
The Nigerian government has strongly condemned the coup, describing it as an unconstitutional change of government that threatens stability across West Africa. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said Nigeria “learned of the coup with profound dismay and deep concern,” and called for the immediate restoration of constitutional order.
The military takeover followed a disputed presidential election, in which both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias claimed victory before official results were released. In the wake of the coup, Army General Horta N’Tam, previously head of the presidential guard, has been sworn in as transitional head of state for one year.
In a statement, the heads of the AU, ECOWAS, and WAEF missions, including former President Jonathan, praised the orderly conduct of the elections and condemned the military’s disruption of the process. “Despite encouraging developments, we express deep concern over the announcement of a coup while the nation awaited election results,” the statement read. The group called on the African Union and ECOWAS to act swiftly to restore constitutional governance and ensure the release of detained electoral officials.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu joined other West African leaders in an extraordinary virtual summit to coordinate a diplomatic response to the crisis. A photograph released by the State House Media Department showed Tinubu participating in the high-level meeting from Abuja.
Some civil society groups in Guinea-Bissau, including the Popular Front coalition, have alleged that President Embaló orchestrated a simulated coup to prevent the announcement of election results in case he lost.
ECOWAS, which has been confronting a resurgence of coups in the region, signaled its commitment to safeguarding stability during Thursday’s emergency summit, reinforcing the bloc’s determination to uphold democratic processes in West Africa.
Comments