Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the breakdown of the ongoing political crisis in Guinea-Bissau, noting that the situation remains volatile and in urgent need of regional attention.
This is as he urged the leadership of the regional body, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to prevail on the junta to announce the outcome of the Presidential polls and release the opposition candidate from detention.
The former president, who led the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observer Mission to the country, had a meeting with President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Saturday, November 29.
Speaking with the President, Jonathan gave a first-hand account of the crisis that ensued after the military takeover, which suspended the electoral process.
The former Nigerian leader stressed that Guinea-Bissau’s political situation was fragile and required urgent intervention to restore constitutional order.
He said, “I came this evening to brief Mr President on what happened. That is the tradition for former Presidents, all these regional and Continental issues, whenever you are involved, when you get back home, you have to brief the President, because likewise leaders will meet, I will not be there, so he will be able to get first-hand information.
“Just like I mentioned in the press briefing, the key thing is that the election was concluded tallying of results was almost concluded. In fact, the results are known, and the key thing is that the winner of that election must be announced.
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“Well, you cannot kick out the military force otherwise, people will die, but let us know the winner of the election
“So, what I am asking the ECOWAS leadership to do is to reach out to the leadership in Guinea-Bissau. Talk to them; they are human beings, and they know the right thing to be done.
“First, for them to release the opposition man because the man has not committed any offence. He didn’t announce himself as the winner of the election. If he had done that, they would say it’s a treasonable offence, so there is no reason to arrest him
“And then they should announce the result, and if the military agrees, the person who won the elections should be inaugurated as the President of the country.
“We are tired of this in Africa. Every day is a negative story. What happened in Guinea-Bissau is not what some people would call a palace coup; it was not a palace coup, we know, we know real coups, Palace coups we know in Nigeria.
