Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday briefed President Bola Tinubu on the unfolding political crisis in Guinea-Bissau following the country’s disputed presidential election and the subsequent military takeover.
Jonathan, who led the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to the country, met with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he provided a detailed account of the situation. He noted that it was customary to brief Nigeria’s president on major regional developments, especially ahead of an anticipated meeting of ECOWAS Heads of State.
“In ECOWAS, when you return from such assignments, you brief your president so leaders get first-hand information,” Jonathan told State House correspondents after the meeting.
He confirmed that vote tallying in Guinea-Bissau had been completed and emphasized the need for the official announcement of the winner. According to him, the regional body must prioritise constructive engagement with the military authorities to prevent further instability.
“We’re not pushing out the military by force. People will die. ECOWAS should engage them. They know the right thing to do,” he said.
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Jonathan also called for the immediate release of detained opposition candidate Fernando Diaz, insisting that Diaz committed no offence and did not declare himself winner at any time.
“There was no reason to arrest him. He didn’t announce himself president. They should free him and announce the result,” he added.
The former Nigerian leader stressed that once the winner is declared, the military authorities must allow the inauguration to proceed, adding that Africa must move beyond recurring political crises.
“We are tired of negative stories. What happened was not a palace coup. It wasn’t even close. I described it as a ceremonial coup,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Jonathan returned to Nigeria late Thursday after being briefly trapped in Guinea-Bissau during the chaotic security situation.
Guinea-Bissau, a West African nation of about 2.2 million people, has experienced a series of coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal more than five decades ago.
