A senior government official on Thursday confirmed that former President Goodluck Jonathan is safe in Guinea-Bissau, despite the military coup that erupted in the country earlier in the day.
Jonathan is among several African leaders and high-profile election observers stranded in the country after soldiers seized power on Wednesday. He had travelled as part of a joint observer mission deployed by the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) to monitor Sunday’s presidential election.
Speaking anonymously to Vanguard, the senior official said that evacuation plans and diplomatic arrangements have already been activated to ensure Jonathan’s safe return to Nigeria.
According to the source, Nigerian security personnel are part of a multinational task force currently on ground to safeguard Jonathan and other Nigerian officials.
“Nigeria is taking the necessary steps to ensure their security and facilitate their return,” the source said.
The Federal Government had earlier condemned the coup, calling for the immediate restoration of constitutional order. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Nigeria’s firm opposition to any unconstitutional change of government and expressed solidarity with democratic institutions in Guinea-Bissau.
Diplomatic channels also confirmed that Nigeria is working closely with regional partners to stabilise the situation and guarantee the safety of all foreign observers and officials caught up in the insurrection.