Goodluck Jonathan Leaves Guinea-Bissau Safely Following Military Coup

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has been successfully evacuated from Guinea-Bissau, the Federal Government confirmed on Thursday, following the sudden military coup that overthrew the West African nation’s civilian government.

The official confirmation came from Kimiebi Ebienfa, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who addressed members of the press in Abuja. Ebienfa emphasized that the former president was secure and had immediately departed the capital following the outbreak of military hostility.

“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau. He left with a special flight with members of his delegation,” Ebienfa reported, detailing the measures taken to secure his exit from the politically destabilised state.

The spokesperson further noted that Jonathan was accompanied by his entire delegation, including key figures such as Mohamed Chambas, ensuring the safe return of the entire diplomatic group.

Jonathan’s presence in Guinea-Bissau was related to an observation mission focused on the country’s democratic process. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, Jonathan joined two other prominent heads of election observation missions: Filipe Nyusi, former President of Mozambique and Head of the African Union Mission, and Issifu Kamara, Head of the ECOWAS Mission.

Together, the three diplomats collectively denounced the military action, labelling it a “direct attempt to disrupt Guinea-Bissau’s democratic process.” The statement further called for calm and reaffirmed the regional bodies’ commitment to supporting Guinea-Bissau "during this sensitive period," stressing "the importance of preserving peace, stability, and the well-being of the Bissau-Guinean people."