By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
FORMER NIGERIA’s President Goodluck Jonathan has described the military intervention in Guinea-Bissau as a “ceremonial coup” and insisted that the presidential election results be announced immediately.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, Jonathan said the events in the West African nation were unusual, noting that President Umaro Embaló had announced his own arrest while continuing to communicate with the media.
Jonathan, who led the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observation Mission during Guinea-Bissau’s recent presidential and legislative elections, said he would not categorise the incident as a conventional coup.
“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,” he said.
He explained that Embaló, while claiming to have been arrested, was able to address international media from his office.
“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. I’m a Nigerian, and I know how heads of state are treated when there’s a coup.
Who is fooling who?” Jonathan asked.
The former president emphasised that the electoral process had been peaceful and properly supervised, with results from all nine regions collated and ready for final declaration before the sudden military announcement.
He said both ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) had verified the results and must now publish them.
“My conviction is that ECOWAS and the AU must announce the result. They have the results. They were present in all the regions. They cannot change anything.
“They should tally the figures and announce the winner. They cannot force the military out, but they must let the world know who won that election. They owe the world that responsibility,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan also called for the immediate release of opposition candidate Fernando Dias, who remained in custody. “He has not committed any offence,” he stated.
The former Nigerian president described the suspension of the electoral process as a dangerous return to political instability, recalling Guinea-Bissau’s turbulent period between 2011 and 2014.
He said the events were particularly concerning because of his long-standing engagement with the country’s political stabilisation, dating back to his tenure as Nigeria’s president and as ECOWAS chairman.
Jonathan further criticised Embaló’s role, noting that it was troubling that a former ECOWAS chair and retired senior military officer could be associated with a disruption of the electoral process.
“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,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan also provided details on his evacuation from Guinea-Bissau. He confirmed that he was extracted on Thursday night aboard an Ivorian aircraft, despite initial plans for a Nigerian jet.
He explained that Côte d’Ivoire secured a landing permit first due to regional proximity and francophone-lusophone relations, making it easier for their aircraft to reach Bissau ahead of the Nigerian jet.
“Both presidents were to send aircraft to lift us, but somehow, you know, Côte d’Ivoire is closer to Guinea-Bissau, and there’s always some relationship between the Francophone countries and the Lusophones, who are among the Francophones.
“They were able to penetrate their system to get a landing permit before Nigeria could do that,” Jonathan said, adding that he appreciated the efforts of both President Tinubu and President Ouattara.
He reflected on the anxiety the events caused among the population and expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their concern.
“While we were in Bissau and this so-called coup happened, the information we got was that the whole country was agitated, young and old, irrespective of religious or political divides,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan also called on ECOWAS and the AU to demonstrate firmness in ensuring the integrity of the election results, citing his experience during the 2010 Côte d’Ivoire post-election crisis when he served as ECOWAS chairman.
He emphasised that announcing the results was a matter of democratic responsibility and that no force or military action was necessary to declare them.
“The leadership of ECOWAS and AU must be courageous. I am not asking anyone to mobilise soldiers. There is no need to spill blood. But the results are there. Nobody should play pranks or treat others as fools,” he said.
Jonathan highlighted that the polls had been peaceful, credible, and properly supervised.
He stressed that the election observation mission had verified the results from all regions, which remain ready for announcement despite the military takeover.
“My conviction is that—and my charge to ECOWAS and AU is that—they must announce the results. 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. Let the world know who won that election. And they owe the world that responsibility,” Jonathan said.
He reiterated his concern for democracy in the region, describing the events in Guinea-Bissau as deeply disturbing. “Who is fooling whom?
Basically, what happened in Guinea-Bissau is quite disturbing to me, who believes in democracy. I feel more pained than the day I called [former President Muhammadu] Buhari to congratulate him when I lost as a sitting president,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan thanked the Nigerian leader, President Tinubu, fellow Nigerians, the Ivorian government for their swift actions during the evacuation, noting the importance of regional cooperation in times of political crises.
