. “Chaos in Bissau: Military Smuggles Jonathan to Safety as Coup Plotters Shut Down the Nation!”
By Passman Akpos
Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has been safely escorted out of Guinea-Bissau by military personnel as the country descends deeper into chaos following a fresh coup attempt that has thrown the West African nation into yet another cycle of political uncertainty.
Jonathan, who was in Bissau as part of a joint African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and West Africa Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observer Mission, was moved under tight military protection after tensions boiled over on Wednesday and Thursday.
DUELLING VICTORY CLAIMS TRIGGER COUP
The latest unrest erupted after both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his main challenger Fernando Dias declared themselves winners of Sunday’s presidential election—even before official results were announced.
Within hours, soldiers stormed key government installations and announced:
Suspension of the electoral process
Closure of all borders—land, sea, and air
A nationwide curfew until further notice
Gunfire was reported near the election commission headquarters, the presidential palace, and the interior ministry as the military tightened its grip on the capital, Bissau.
NIGERIA MOVES TO SECURE JONATHAN, CITIZENS
Earlier on Thursday, the Nigerian House of Representatives urged the Federal Government to take urgent diplomatic steps to guarantee Jonathan’s safe evacuation. The lawmakers also called for the rescue of other Nigerians trapped in the unfolding crisis.
Jonathan’s evacuation by military escort is believed to be part of these intensified international efforts.
MILITARY DECLARES “TOTAL CONTROL”
On Wednesday, SaharaReporters revealed that Guinea-Bissau’s military officers had taken over state authority, declaring “total control” and dissolving the electoral process.
Their move came amid heavy gunfire and heightened fears of a prolonged standoff between political camps.
PRESIDENT EMBALÓ ARRESTED
Adding to the turmoil, the BBC confirmed that President Embaló was arrested by armed soldiers around 1pm on Wednesday while in his office at the presidential palace.
According to Embaló’s comments to Jeune Afrique, it was a “coup d’état” carried out without violence.
Also detained were:
General Biaguê Na Ntan – Armed Forces Chief of Staff
General Mamadou Touré – Deputy Chief of Staff
Botché Candé – Minister of the Interior
The arrests have further deepened fears of prolonged instability in a country long plagued by coups, political assassinations, and military interference.
WHAT NEXT FOR GUINEA-BISSAU?
With both presidential candidates insisting on victory, the electoral process suspended, and top officials detained, Guinea-Bissau stands on the brink of yet another drawn-out crisis.
The safe evacuation of Goodluck Jonathan removes one major diplomatic concern, but regional and international pressure is expected to intensify in the coming days as ECOWAS and the AU confront yet another democratic breakdown in West Africa.
