Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau as “a ceremonial coup” even as the African Union moved swiftly to suspend the West African nation over the incident.
President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea Bissau said he was arrested in his office at the presidential palace, sparking panic and prompting the military to impose a curfew, suspend the electoral process, close borders, and detain senior officials, including top military and interior ministry figures.
In an interview with Symfoni posted on YouTube on Friday, Jonathan said,
“You know, since I left office, I’ve always been scared of talking to the media. But in this particular case, I decided to speak… first and foremost, to thank Nigerians for the show of empathy, the encouragement.”
He explained that during the so-called coup, Guinea-Bissau’s President, Embaló himself announced that he had been arrested before the military made any public declaration.
“I wouldn’t call it a coup. It was not a coup. I would just say, for want of a better word, maybe it was a ceremonial coup. Because for two things: It is the president, President Embaló, who announced the coup. Later, the military men came up to address the world that they were in charge of everywhere.
“Then Embaló had already announced the coup, which is strange. Not only announcing the coup, but Embaló, while the coup took place, was using his phone and addressing media organisations across the world that he had been arrested,” Jonathan said.
The former president expressed disbelief at the manner in which the incident unfolded, comparing it to other military takeovers in West Africa.
Meanwhile, the African Union has suspended Guinea-Bissau following this week’s coup in the west African country, the AU Commission head told AFP on Friday.
The AU decided “to suspend Guinea-Bissau from its bodies with immediate effect”, chairman Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said.
The election observation missions to Guinea-Bissau set up by the African Union and Economic Community of West African States, and the West African Elders Forum, condemned the halt of the announcement of presidential and legislative elections and subsequent military takeover in the West African country.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the election missions deplored what they described as “a blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process” in Guinea-Bissau.
The statement was signed by Head of the African Union Election Observation Mission, Filipe Nyusi; Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, Issifu Kamara; and Head of the West African Elders Forum, Goodluck Jonathan.
The missions called on the AU and ECOWAS to take necessary steps to restore constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau.
They also announced the suspension of Guinea-Bissau from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies until a full and effective constitutional order is restored.
The PUNCH/AFP
