By Our Correspondent
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa to provide a first-hand account of the events that unfolded in Guinea-Bissau following the recent presidential election. Jonathan, who headed the observer mission on behalf of ECOWAS, African Union (AU) and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), was in the country when the military abruptly seized power.
According to Jonathan, what occurred was not a conventional military coup but a ceremonial coup, peculiar in that the incumbent president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, initially announced the takeover himself even calling global media and reportedly claiming to have been arrested before the military formally asserted control. Jonathan described the sequence of events as strange and disturbing, noting that such behaviour is inconsistent with typical patterns observed in coups across the continent.
The abrupt takeover came just days after Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election an election in which both Embalo and his challenger declared victory before official results were released. The military’s seizure of power stalled the electoral process and threw the country’s political future into uncertainty.
Jonathan urged regional bodies, including ECOWAS and the AU, to act swiftly. He called for the immediate release of detained opposition figures, demands that the election results reportedly already collated be officially announced, and a return to constitutional governance. He warned that failure to do so could lead to further instability.
Nigeria’s federal government – echoing Jonathan’s concerns condemned the unconstitutional change of government, describing the takeover as a threat to both Guinea-Bissau’s democracy and regional stability. President Tinubu also joined other West African leaders in convening an emergency virtual summit aimed at restoring constitutional order in the troubled country.
As Guinea-Bissau remains in turmoil, the eyes of regional and international observers are now on how ECOWAS, the AU, and local political actors respond. The coming days will be critical for the restoration of democratic governance and the release of a credible election result a step many believe is necessary to maintain peace and legitimacy in the country.
