Former President Goodluck Jonathan briefs President Tinubu on Guinea-Bissau, calling the election incident a “ceremonial coup” and urging action
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Saturday briefed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on the recent elections in Guinea-Bissau, describing the incident widely reported as a coup as a “ceremonial coup.”
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Speaking with journalists after the briefing, Jonathan explained that the arrest of the opposition candidate was unnecessary, as the results of the election were already largely known.
“I came this evening to brief Mr President on what happened, as is the tradition for former presidents,” Jonathan said.
“All regional and continental issues, whenever you are involved, require briefing the current President. ECOWAS leaders will meet, and I will not be there, so he will receive first-hand information.”
Jonathan stressed that the opposition candidate had committed no offence and that the military should allow the election results to be announced. “First, they should release the opposition man because he has not committed any offence.
Then, they should announce the result, and if the military agrees, the winner should be inaugurated,” he said.
The former Nigerian leader clarified the nature of the incident, emphasising that it was not a typical palace or military coup.
“What happened in Guinea-Bissau is not what some people would call a palace coup. This was a ceremonial coup conducted by the Head of State himself,” Jonathan said.
He called on ECOWAS leadership to engage with Guinea-Bissau’s authorities, noting that dialogue could ensure a peaceful resolution. “Talk to them. They are human beings; they know the right thing to be done,” he urged.
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Jonathan also lamented the prevalence of negative news surrounding Africa, asserting that the country’s situation did not constitute a traditional coup but rather a controlled, ceremonial act by the head of state.
