Abuja: Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday briefed President Bola Tinubu on Guinea-Bissau’s political crisis following its disputed presidential election and subsequent military takeover. Jonathan, who led the ECOWAS Observation Mission, emphasized the importance of updating Nigeria’s leader on regional developments in anticipation of an expected meeting of ECOWAS Heads of State.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Jonathan stressed the necessity for the regional bloc to engage in dialogue with the military authorities in Guinea-Bissau to prevent further instability and avoid the use of force. He urged ECOWAS to approach the situation diplomatically, highlighting the potential for loss of life if military intervention were pursued. Jonathan also underscored the importance of formally announcing the election results, following the conclusion of vote tallying.
Jonathan called for the immediate release of the detained opposition candidate, Fernando Diaz, who he asserted had committed no offence and had not declared himself the election winner. He emphasized that there was no justification for Diaz’s arrest and advocated for the results to be announced and for the declared winner to be inaugurated, contingent upon the military authorities’ agreement.
Reflecting on the broader implications of the crisis, Jonathan expressed a desire for Africa to move beyond frequent political upheavals. He described the military takeover as a “ceremonial coup,” distinguishing it from more traditional coups, and underscored the need for stability in the region.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Jonathan returned to Nigeria from Guinea-Bissau on Thursday evening after being briefly trapped by the political incident. The West African nation, with a population of about 2.2 million, has a history of recurrent coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal over 50 years ago.