Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Saturday, visited President Bola Tinubu
at the Presidential Villa to brief on the current political crisis in Guinea Bissau.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a brief statement shared on his social media platforms, said the meeting was on Jonathan’s return to Nigeria from Guinea Bissau where he led a delegation on an election monitoring mission.
Recall that Jonathan, alongside other foreign observers, were trapped in Guinea Bissau after a group of military officers claimed “total control” of the country, a day after two leading candidates – President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and Fernando Dias – each declared victory.
The coupists ordered the immediate suspension of the electoral process, and directed the closure of all land, air and sea borders.
But Jonathan was safely evacuated from the country and returned to Nigeria on Thursday.
In a statement on Thursday, Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Jonathan left the country on a special flight alongside members of his delegation.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau. He left on a special flight with members of his delegation, including Mohamed Chambas,” Ebienfa said.
Jonathan, who addressed journalists on Friday after his return, expressed doubt that a coup truly happened, hinting that there were signs that Embalo did not want to leave power.
He said, “Specifically, what happened in Guinea-Bissau was not a coup; maybe, for want of a better word, I would say it was a ceremonial coup. It is the president, President Umaro Embaló, that announced the coup.
“Before later, a military man came up to address the world that they were in charge of everywhere. Embaló had already announced the coup, which is strange.
“Not only announcing the coup, but Embaló, while the coup took place, was using his phone and addressing media organisations across the world that he had been arrested.
“Who is fooling who? Basically, what happened in Guinea-Bissau is quite disturbing to me, who believes in democracy. In fact, I feel more pains than the day I called Buhari to congratulate him when I lost the election.
“When they were almost through and we were all waiting for the results to be announced, then Embaló announced that there was a coup, that they had taken over, they had arrested him.”
The former president added, “But from all indications, nobody arrested him. My conviction is that, and my charge to ECOWAS and AU is that they must announce the results.
“They have the results because AU and ECOWAS officials were at all the regions when the results were collated. They cannot change those results. They should tally all those results and announce. They cannot force the military out. They must announce, let the world know who won that election. And they owe the world that responsibility.”
Jonathan said it was troubling that Embaalo, a former ECOWAS chairman and retired military officer, could be associated with an event that disrupted the election.
“He should be the person that can prevent any coup in Guinea-Bissau. I don’t expect a coup that would remove him from office,” he said.
