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Jonathan updates Tinubu on Guinea-Bissau turmoil after leading ECOWAS election observation mission.
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Ex-President calls for release of detained opposition figures and immediate announcement of concluded poll results.
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Describes takeover as “ceremonial coup,” urges ECOWAS engagement as military tightens grip on Bissau.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday received former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following his return from Guinea-Bissau where a military takeover disrupted the country’s electoral process.
Jonathan, who led the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission, visited Aso Rock to brief the President on developments after completing his assignment in Bissau. Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the visit.
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Speaking with State House correspondents, Jonathan said he had concluded his monitoring duties before tensions escalated. He urged ECOWAS to engage Guinea-Bissau’s military authorities to release detained opposition figures and announce the already-concluded election results.
He emphasised that the candidate who won the poll should be sworn in without further delay.
READ ALSO: Guinea-Bissau’s Embaló Flees to Senegal After Military Coup
Clarifying earlier comments in which he described the incident as “maybe a ceremonial coup,” Jonathan said the situation, though tense, did not fully constitute a conventional military overthrow.
The crisis worsened on Wednesday when soldiers took control of key government institutions after heavy gunfire rocked the capital. Former President Umaro Sissoco Embaló disclosed that he had been arrested at the presidential palace. The military later imposed a night curfew, shut borders, and suspended the electoral process.
Several top government, security, and military officials were also detained during the takeover.
The Federal Government of Nigeria condemned the developments as a threat to regional stability, confirming that Jonathan was safely evacuated from the troubled West African nation.
Jonathan had been in Guinea-Bissau overseeing the November 23 presidential and legislative elections before unrest halted the declaration of results.
