Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has arrived safely in Abuja after being evacuated from Guinea-Bissau following a fresh military coup that rattled the West African nation.
Jonathan touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Thursday evening, days after troops announced an unconstitutional takeover while election observer missions were still active in the country.
Jonathan had been in Guinea-Bissau serving as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission to oversee last Sunday’s presidential and legislative polls.
He arrived in the country to monitor national elections, even as tensions brewed over contested results before the junta finally struck.
Naijaonpoint reports that Jonathan’s team was still discharging its mandate when the military declared it had taken control of government operations.
Reacting to the coup, Jonathan, speaking jointly with continental and regional observer leaders, condemned the takeover, describing it as a sinister attempt to sabotage the electoral process.
In a rare united stance, the trio, including Filipe Nyusi of the African Union Election Observation Mission and Issifu Kamara of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, condemned the coup.
They added that they remained committed to supporting the nation “during this sensitive period,” while stressing that lives, heritage and national harmony must be protected above personal or political interests.
The Federal Government of Nigeria also came out strongly against the coup, warning that military incursions into civilian rule jeopardise democratic culture and regional peace.
The government said the takeover posed “a serious threat to democracy and regional stability,” urging African states and international partners to coordinate security efforts to prevent further escalation.
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