Former President Goodluck Jonathan is back in Abuja after being airlifted from Guinea-Bissau in the wake of a sudden military takeover. He landed safely at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Thursday night.
Jonathan had travelled to Guinea-Bissau as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission to monitor last Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections. His delegation was still conducting its assessment when soldiers seized power and announced a suspension of the democratic process.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, Jonathan, together with Filipe Nyusi, former President of Mozambique and head of the AU Election Observation Mission, and Issifu Kamara, head of the ECOWAS Mission, strongly condemned the coup. The leaders warned that the action was a calculated attempt to undermine Guinea-Bissau’s democracy.
They appealed for calm and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the country “during this sensitive period,” stressing the need to protect peace, stability and the welfare of the Bissau-Guinean people.
The Federal Government of Nigeria also criticised the development, describing it as a grave threat to democratic governance and regional stability.
