Goodlock Jonathan
By Olayiwola Mercy
Former President Goodluck Jonathan finally touched down in Abuja on Thursday night after a tense few days in Guinea‑Bissau, where a sudden military coup had left him and other observers stranded. The former head of state was on a mission for the West African Elders Forum, monitoring the presidential and legislative elections that took place on November 23, when soldiers announced they had seized power and shut the country’s borders.
Jonathan had arrived in Bissau as the leader of the WAEF observation team, and his delegation was still out in the field when the coup unfolded. The military’s “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” declared total control, imposed a curfew, and halted the electoral process, leaving hundreds of foreign observers—including Jonathan—unable to leave.
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry quickly confirmed his safety, saying he was evacuated on a special flight and was “very safe and out of Guinea‑Bissau.” The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, added that the government was coordinating with regional partners to secure his return and to press for the restoration of constitutional order . The African Union and ECOWAS also issued a joint statement condemning the unconstitutional takeover and urging the junta to release detained officials.
The coup leaders, identified as a group of officers calling themselves the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order,” named Army General Horta N’Tam—formerly head of the presidential guard—as the transitional head of state for a year. They arrested incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and opposition candidate Fernando Dias, who had both declared victory despite the results not being officially announced.
In the aftermath, Nigeria’s government, along with the AU and ECOWAS, warned that the seizure threatened regional stability and democratic progress in West Africa. They called for an immediate return to constitutional rule, the reopening of borders, and the safety of all election observers still in the country.
So, after a nail‑biting evacuation and a chorus of regional condemnation, Jonathan is back home safe and sound, while the situation in Guinea‑Bissau remains fluid and under close watch by West African leaders.
