Nigeria’s Federal Government condemned a military coup in Guinea-Bissau that ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on Wednesday. The takeover trapped former President Goodluck Jonathan during his election observation mission there. Officials evacuated him by special flight on Thursday, along with his delegation including Mohamed Chambas.
Troops seized full control, arrested Embaló, opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira, and top officials like the chief of staff and interior minister. They suspended the presidential and legislative polls held on November 23, shut borders, imposed a curfew, and blocked major routes amid heavy gunfire near the presidential palace. Unidentified armed men also attacked the National Electoral Commission.
General Horta N’Tam, the army chief of staff, took a one-year leadership oath to restore order. He blamed “national instability” and “electoral irregularities” for the action, vowing to block threats to democracy. The coup marked the fourth successful one in Guinea-Bissau since 1974 independence.
Jonathan led the West African Elders Forum team alongside observers like former Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi and ECOWAS head Issifu Kamara. The trio decried the putsch as a “direct attempt to disrupt Guinea-Bissau’s democratic process.” The nation, a major drug trafficking hub, has long battled poverty and unrest.
Nigeria’s House of Representatives urged swift diplomatic action for Jonathan’s safety during Thursday’s plenary in Abuja. Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu backed the motion, joined by House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere and Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda. Ihonvbere noted officials already worked to bring him home quickly.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa confirmed Jonathan’s safe return. “He left with a special flight with members of his delegation,” she said. The government decried the “military insurrection” as a blow to West African stability and pledged ECOWAS and African Union efforts for constitutional rule.
This violent upheaval shatters fragile hopes in a corner of Africa scarred by too many seizures of power. Innocent observers like Jonathan, caught in the crossfire, remind us of democracy’s tender thread—and the human cost when it snaps.
