Former President Goodluck Jonathan has safely returned to Nigeria after being caught up in a military coup in Guinea-Bissau, where he had gone to observe the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
Gatekeepers News reports that Jonathan arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja late Thursday, two days after military officers seized power in the West African nation. He was welcomed on the tarmac by supporters and government officials.
The ex-president was in Guinea-Bissau as head of the West African Elders Forum Observation Mission. His team, alongside observers from the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), was still carrying out election-monitoring duties when the military staged the takeover, leaving him and others stranded and raising safety concerns.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau,” said Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“He left on a special flight with members of his delegation, including Ibm Chambas.”
The coup occurred on Wednesday when Guinea-Bissau’s military assumed “total control” of the country, suspending the electoral process and closing borders just days after the elections. General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, said a command “composed of all branches of the armed forces, was taking over the leadership of the country until further notice.”
President Umaro Embalo, widely tipped to win Sunday’s election, was arrested by the military. The following day, the officers appointed General Horta N’Tam, the army’s chief of staff, as the country’s new leader for a one-year term.
Nigeria Condemns the Coup
The Nigerian government condemned the military takeover, calling for the restoration of constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, in the strongest possible terms, condemns this act of military insurrection which undermines the democratic progress, constitutional order, and stability not only of Guinea-Bissau but of the entire West African sub-region,” Ebienfa said in a statement.
“This coup d’état represents a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which explicitly rejects any ascension to power through unconstitutional means. We stand in solidarity with the people of Guinea-Bissau and call for the immediate and unconditional restoration of constitutional order, the safety and security of all those detained, and full respect for the sanctity of democratic institutions in Guinea-Bissau.”
