Former President Goodluck Jonathan has thanked Nigerians and regional leaders for their show of love and concern during the Guinea-Bissau political upheaval while he was there observing the election.
Jonathan spoke to newsmen in Abuja after returning from Guinea-Bissau where he was temporarily trapped in the country by orchestrated military coup announced by the sitting President, Umaro Mbalo.
“You know, since I left office, I have always been scared talking to the media. But in this particular case, I decided to speak to the media.
“First and foremost, to thank Nigerians for the show of empathy, the encouragement.
“Because 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 divides or political divides.
“I sincerely appreciate Nigerians, and I want them to hear directly from my mouth to appreciate their concern,” he said.
The former President also commended the interventions of President Bola Tinubu and his Ivorian counterpart, Alassane Ouattara, for his safe return to Nigeria
He also clarified why he was brought back to the country by Ivorian airline.
“Secondly, to thank my president, President Tinubu, and the Ivorian President.
“Both presidents were to send aircrafts to lift us, but somehow you know Côte d’Ivoire, is closer to Guinea-Bissau.
“There’s always some relationship among the Francophones countries.
“They were able to penetrate their system to get a landing permit first before Nigeria could do that.
“So, the Ivorian aircraft was already on their way to pick us. So when we learned about the Nigerian aircraft, about leaving, we asked them not to bother.
“That is why you see the picture that I was brought by an Ivorian aircraft.
“So we thank the two presidents, President Quatarra, President Tinubu, and indeed thank Nigerians, young and old, for that,” Jonathan said.
The recent political instability in Guinea-Bissau, which left former President Jonathan temporarily stranded in the country, erupted just days after the West African nation held closely contested presidential and legislative elections on Nov. 23.
Jonathan was in Bissau leading the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission to monitor the polls, which were initially reported to be peaceful and well-conducted.
The crisis began as the National Electoral Commission (CNE) was preparing to announce the official results of the vote, expected to be a tight race between the incumbent, President Umaro Mbalo, and the main opposition candidate, Fernando Dias.
The turmoil escalated on Nov. 26, when reports of heavy gunfire near the presidential palace and the National Electoral Commission headquarters surfaced in the capital, Bissau.
Shortly afterward, President Mbalo himself told various international news outlets that he had been deposed and arrested in a coup d’état, though he claimed that no force had been used against him.
Hours later, military officers calling themselves the “High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order” appeared on state TV, announcing they have seized control and suspended all political institutions.
Amid the chaos, the safety of former President Jonathan and his delegation became a matter of national and regional concern.
Jonathan and his team returned safely to Nigeria on Thursday.
CEREMONIAL COUP
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described the recent political upheaval in Guinea-Bissau as a “ceremonial coup,” rather than a military takeover.
Jonathan stated this while addressing newsmen in Abuja, after returning from Guinea-Bissau where he had been temporarily trapped by the incident.
He described the bizarre circumstances surrounding the coup announcement by the sitting President, Umaro Mbalo, as strange.
“What happened in Guinea-Bissau, I wouldn’t call it a coup.
“It was not a coup. Maybe some people would describe it as such for want of a better word—I would say maybe it was a ceremonial coup.
“For two reasons: it was President Mbalo who announced the coup.
“Later, the military men came out to address the world, saying they were in charge everywhere, even though Mbalo had already announced the coup, which is strange.
“Not only did he announce the coup, but Mbalo, while the coup was taking place, was using his phone and addressing media organisations across the world, claiming he had been arrested,” he said.
Jonathan, who recalled his recent role as ECOWAS mediator in Mali when the military took over government, said that soldiers did not overthrow a government and still allow the ousted president to be addressing press conferences or commenting on his arrest.
He questioned, “Who is fooling who?”
He said what happened in Guinea-Bissau was quite disturbing, adding that he felt more pain than the day he, as sitting President, called former President Muhammadu Buhari to congratulate him after losing the 2023 election.
He said the development appeared to be taking Guinea-Bissau back to “those dark days” when the military acted with impunity, adding that the situation was totally unacceptable.
Jonathan, who was part of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) election observer mission to the country, said all observer missions in Guinea-Bissau believed the election was peaceful and that the result was expected to be announced.
“You know, results for presidential elections are collated at different levels.
“The nine regions’ results were ready. So they were collating them at the capital.
“When they were almost through, and we were all waiting for the results to be announced, then Mbalo announced that there is coup that they have taken over.
“They have arrested him. But from all indications, nobody arrested him,” he said.
Jonathan emphasising the need to uphold the integrity of the electoral process in the sub-region, called on ECOWAS and AU officials to go ahead to tally the results and announce it for the world to know what happened in Guinea-Bissau.
“My conviction and my charge to ECOWAS and AU is that they must announce their results.
“They have the results, because AU and ECOWAS officials were at all regions when the results were collated.
“They cannot change those results. They should tally all those results and announce.
“They cannot force the military out, but they must announce. Let the world know who won that election.
“They owe the world that responsibility,” Jonathan said.
He recalled the 2010 crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, where he stood firm as ECOWAS chair to ensure the internationally recognised winner of the election Alassane Ouattara, was sworn in over the incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, saying “democracy is about majority.”
“The leadership of ECOWAS, luckily, Mada Bio was a former military man himself.
“So, he should be courageous. The leadership of AU, they must be courageous. They must announce who won that election.
“I’m not saying they should mobilise soldiers to go and fight. No, no need to shield blood.
“But we must know, because the results are there. They have the results. The AU, ECOWAS, they have the results.
“We cannot be playing pranks. Nobody should call others fools.
“There’s no way they announce Military coup at a time they want to announce the result. How?
“And the president was the person who announced the coup. It doesn’t happen anywhere,” he said.
Jonathan expressed disappointment with President Mbalo, who until recently chaired the ECOWAS.
“That is the most painful thing. President Mbalo just yesterday was the chair of the authority of heads of state and government of ECOWAS.
“One would expect him, as a president of Guinea-Bissau, to do his best.
“Luckily, he’s an ex-military man. So he has a military constituency.
“He was a very senior military man before retiring. So he has his own friends, his boys, and so on.
“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,” he said.
On ECOWAS suspending Guinea-Bissau, Jonathan called it “traditional” and necessary to maintain the bloc’s democratic principles, saying it’s costly to do the right thing, but ECOWAS must not bother.
“The only thing is that they must modify the protocols or create some other protocols to make sure that ECOWAS do things that will endear them to the citizens,” he said.
Jonathan said that when ECOWAS continued to do those things, those countries, that left would return to join the bloc.
He said that the military would not be forever, noting that with time, society would be tired of them and demand that they leave.
“It will not take more than 10 years for all these countries to go back to civil rule and they will join ECOWAS.
“So for now, even if only five countries out of the 15 are ready to carry on with ECOWAS, they should. We should not bother about that and begin to change their position.
“ECOWAS must stand firm. We cannot accept military in ECOWAS,” he said.
The former president also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the main opposition leader, Fernando Diaz, who remains in custody.
Jonathan calling on international community to talk to the military to release Diaz, said he had not committed any offence that warranted his restriction.
He advised the military not to take Guinea-Bissau backwards to the dark days of 2011 to 2014.
