Jonathan: Guinea-Bissau Crisis Wasn’t a Coup, ‘More Painful Than Losing to Buhari’

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has insisted that the recent political upheaval in Guinea-Bissau was not a coup, stressing that the country’s election results must be released.

Jonathan, who served as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission during the polls, said the situation hurt him even more than the moment he phoned the late Muhammadu Buhari to concede defeat in the 2015 presidential election.

Jonathan was evacuated from Guinea-Bissau on an Ivorian aircraft after tensions escalated and concerns rose over his safety.

‘Something is not adding up’

Speaking in an interview with Symfoni, Jonathan described the incident as a “ceremonial coup.”

He said:
“Specifically, what happened in Guinea-Bissau was not a coup. Maybe, for want of a better word, I would say it was a ceremonial coup. It is the president, President Umaro Embaló, that announced the coup.”

Jonathan noted the unusual nature of the announcement.

“Before later, a military man came up to address the world that they were in charge of everywhere. Embaló had already announced the coup, which is strange. Not only announcing the coup, but Embaló, while the coup took place, was using his phone and addressing media organisations across the world that he had been arrested,” he said.

The former president questioned the credibility of the claims.

“I’m a Nigerian, and I know how heads of state are treated when there’s a coup. Who is fooling who? Basically, what happened in Guinea-Bissau is quite disturbing to me, who believes in democracy. I feel more pained than the day I called Buhari to congratulate him when I lost as a sitting president.”

He added that the alleged coup was announced just as officials were preparing to release the election results.

Jonathan to AU, ECOWAS: Announce the Results

Jonathan urged the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS to publish the official results.

“From all indications, nobody arrested him. My conviction is that — and my charge to ECOWAS and AU is that — they must announce the results. They have the results because AU and ECOWAS officials were at all the regions when the results were collated. They cannot change those results.”

He insisted:

“They must announce, let the world know who won that election. They owe the world that responsibility.”

Jonathan also demanded the release of opposition candidate Fernando Dias, saying he had “not committed any offence.”

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