The Federal Government on Thursday confirmed that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is safe and has departed Guinea-Bissau after the military toppled the country’s government.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau.”
Jonathan had travelled to the country as the head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission, where he monitored last Sunday’s presidential and legislative polls before the military declared it had taken control.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, Filipe Nyusi, former president of Mozambique and leader of the African Union Election Observation Mission; Issifu Kamara, head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission; and Jonathan denounced the takeover, calling it a direct effort to derail Guinea-Bissau’s democratic path.
The group urged restraint and reaffirmed their readiness to support the nation during what they described as a delicate period, underscoring the need to safeguard peace, stability, and the welfare of the Bissau-Guinean population.
Nigeria’s Federal Government also issued a strong condemnation of the coup, noting that it poses a threat to democratic governance and regional security. Jonathan, who served as part of a joint observer mission representing the AU, ECOWAS, and WAEF, had been under military protection as tensions heightened.
The military takeover occurred after both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias declared victory in Sunday’s vote, even though official results had yet to be announced.
Following the declaration, soldiers halted the electoral process, shut the country’s borders, and imposed a nationwide curfew.
Earlier on Thursday, the Nigerian House of Representatives called on the Federal Government to secure Jonathan’s safe return and to provide assistance to other Nigerians still in Guinea-Bissau. Lawmakers urged the activation of all diplomatic channels to facilitate their evacuation.
