By Seyi Odewale
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has returned safely to Nigeria after being evacuated from coup-hit Guinea-Bissau, where he had been leading the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observation Mission during last Sunday’s presidential and legislative polls.
Jonathan arrived back in the country late Thursday following a special flight arranged to extract him and members of his delegation after the sudden military takeover triggered a shutdown of borders, suspension of the electoral process and detention of top government officials.
Confirming his return, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Jonathan and other observers were evacuated without incident.
“Former President Goodluck Jonathan is very safe and back home. He departed Guinea-Bissau on a special flight with members of his delegation, including Mohamed Ibn Chambas,” ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa said.
Jonathan and his team had been monitoring the elections when soldiers moved on Wednesday to seize control of state institutions, dissolved the political process and closed land and air borders. The junta acted before official results were released, heightening concerns among regional observers.
*FG condemns military takeover as ECOWAS, AU join calls for release of detainees
The Federal Government has condemned the coup in unequivocal terms, calling the military action a serious breach of democratic norms and the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria strongly condemns this act of military insurrection, which undermines democratic progress not only in Guinea-Bissau but across the entire West African sub-region,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Abuja demanded the “immediate and unconditional” restoration of constitutional order and the safety of all detained officials, insisting that the Force must not derail the electoral process.
Meanwhile, regional election observers from the ECOWAS, the African Union and WAEF also raised alarms over the coup, describing the takeover as a direct assault on democracy.
In a joint statement signed by Jonathan, former Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi (leading the AU mission) and Issifu Baba Kamara (head of the ECOWAS mission), the observers said:
“We deplore this blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process and the gains made so far. We urge the African Union and ECOWAS to take urgent steps to restore constitutional order.”
The statement revealed that the coup announcement came shortly after the missions met with the leading presidential candidates, both of whom had pledged to accept the election results.
The crisis deepened on Thursday when the military named the army’s chief of staff, General Horta N’Tam, as transitional leader for one year, following the arrest of sitting President Umaro Embaló, who had been favoured to win the election.
Diplomatic sources say the rapid turn of events has raised concern within ECOWAS about the possibility of spillover instability in the region.
Jonathan’s evacuation and return have eased concerns in Nigeria’s diplomatic and political circles, especially after lawmakers earlier in the day urged Abuja to ensure his safety.
