Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, has been safely evacuated from Guinea-Bissau, and landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja following Wednesday’s military coup in the West African nation.
Mr. Jonathan was in Guinea-Bissau as part of a joint election observer mission deployed by the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), has been put under military protection as tensions escalated in the country.
The military takeover occurred after both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias declared themselves winners of the just concluded presidential election, even though official results had not been released.
Soldiers subsequently announced a takeover, suspension of the electoral process, closure of borders, and enforcement of a nationwide curfew, throwing the country into fresh political uncertainty as they declared “total control” a day after both leading presidential candidates claimed victory in a tightly contested vote.
In a statement, the officers said they had ordered the “immediate suspension” of the electoral process, the closure of all land, air, and sea borders, and an overnight curfew “until further notice”.
The announcement came shortly after sustained gunfire was reported near the election commission headquarters, the presidential palace, and the interior ministry in Bissau.
Results from Sunday’s presidential election had been expected on Thursday. The poll featured incumbent President Embaló and challenger Fernando Dias, each insisting they had won.
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