Jonathan: Guinea-Bissau coup hurt me more than losing to Buhari

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says the recent political upheaval in Guinea-Bissau caused him greater pain than his defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election.

Speaking in a video interview obtained by Saturday PUNCH, Jonathan said the events in the West African nation were disturbing, especially given his long-standing efforts to help restore stability and democracy there.

Jonathan had travelled to Guinea-Bissau with the West African Elders Forum to monitor the presidential and parliamentary elections when the military abruptly announced it had taken control—an action that left him and other observer missions from ECOWAS, the African Union, and other bodies stranded and raised concerns for his safety.

He was later evacuated and returned to Nigeria on Thursday.

“What happened in Guinea-Bissau is deeply upsetting for someone like me who believes in democracy,” Jonathan said. “In fact, I felt more pain than the day I called Buhari to concede defeat in 2015.”

He recalled his involvement in resolving earlier crises in the country and helping ensure the conduct of the 2013 elections.

Jonathan described the latest incident as abnormal, saying it did not resemble a typical coup. He questioned President Umaro Embaló’s announcement that he had been “arrested” despite being able to speak freely to international media.

Reports from ECOWAS, the AU and other observers, he noted, described the polls as peaceful, which made Embaló’s sudden claim of a coup—while election results were still being collated—even more puzzling.

“It is troubling that President Embaló was the one announcing a coup,” Jonathan said. “I wouldn’t call what happened a coup—it was more like a ceremonial coup. Nowhere in the world does a president announce his own overthrow.”

He advised against any military confrontation to reverse the situation and urged ECOWAS and the AU to publish the full election results. He also called for the release of opposition leader Fernando Dias, who he said had committed no offence.

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Jonathan narrated how the Ivorian government eventually evacuated him after both Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire requested landing clearance to send aircraft. Côte d’Ivoire received approval first and was already en route when Nigeria secured its own clearance, leading his team to advise Abuja to stand down.

He returned on the Ivorian aircraft, as shown in photos of his arrival.