Former President Goodluck Jonathan has clarified the circumstances surrounding his return to Nigeria aboard an Ivorian aircraft, following recent political unrest and reports of a possible coup in Guinea-Bissau. Jonathan was in the country serving as the head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission when gunfire erupted around key government institutions, leading to widespread agitation across the nation.

Jonathan explained that both Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara had made arrangements to evacuate him and his delegation. However, the Ivorian team obtained landing clearance first due to stronger regional links and closer proximity to Guinea-Bissau. He stated that the Ivorian aircraft was already en route by the time the Nigerian jet received approval to depart, leading him to request the Nigerian team not to proceed. He expressed profound gratitude to both presidents for their efforts and to Nigerians for their display of empathy and concern during the incident.

Addressing the nature of the political events, Jonathan publicly dismissed the reported military intervention in Guinea-Bissau as a genuine coup, describing it instead as a “ceremonial coup.” He found it perplexing that President Umaro Sissoco Embaló himself announced the coup and continued to communicate with media organizations worldwide via phone, claiming to have been arrested while the alleged takeover was occurring. Jonathan questioned the legitimacy of such an event, drawing on his experience and knowledge of how heads of state are typically handled during military coups, citing his mediation role during a coup in Mali as a comparative example.

Jonathan hinted that Embaló’s actions suggested a reluctance to cede power. He recounted that election results from all nine regions had been collated and were ready for final declaration when Embaló suddenly announced the coup. He urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to uphold democratic integrity by publishing these collated results. Jonathan stressed that both organizations had officials present during the collation process and therefore possessed the true results, stating, “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.”

He further expressed his dismay that Embaló, a former ECOWAS chairman and retired military officer, would be associated with an event that disrupted the democratic process, asserting that Embaló should have been a figure preventing any coup in Guinea-Bissau. Jonathan concluded by reiterating his appreciation to Nigerians, President Tinubu, and President Ouattara for their support and concern throughout the challenging episode.