By Yunus S Saliu
Nigeria’s former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has accused Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of orchestrating what he described as a “ceremonial coup” to prevent the announcement of presidential election results that were already near completion.
Jonathan, who led the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission to monitor the country’s presidential and legislative elections, held on Sunday, 23 November 2025, addressed journalists on Friday in Nigeria, expressing deep concern over the political situation in the country, Guinea-Bissau.
The former Nigerian leader explained that available evidence contradicted claims of a genuine military takeover. He noted that Embaló’s conduct during the episode, particularly his ability to freely speak with media organisations while claiming to be in detention, suggested the event was staged.
“As they were collating, I wouldn’t call it a coup. It was not a coup,” Jonathan said. “I will just say, for a better word, it is a ceremonial coup because two things: it is the president, President Embaló, who announced the coup before the military man came up to address the world that they were in charge. But Embaló had already announced the coup, which is strange.”
Jonathan, drawing from his experience as an ECOWAS mediator in Mali, stressed that no genuine coup allows an “arrested” president full access to communication tools, let alone the freedom to address global media.
“The military doesn’t take over government and allow the president they overthrow to hold press conferences, announcing that they have been arrested,” he said. “Who is fooling who?”
Expressing personal disappointment, Jonathan said the situation in Guinea-Bissau was painful, especially given his long-standing commitment to stabilising the country’s democracy. He recalled the dark period around 2011–2014, marked by military interference, including an incident where a soldier allegedly slapped the Prime Minister in his office.
“What is happening now is like we are going back to those dark days of Guinea-Bissau,” he lamented. “It’s totally not acceptable.”
Jonathan insisted that the 2025 elections were peaceful and transparent based on reports from the West African Elders Forum and other international missions. According to him, results from all nine regions were already collated before the sudden announcement of a coup.
“The election was successful, the counting of results was peacefully conducted,” he said. “The nine regions’ results were ready. When they were almost through, and we were all waiting for the result to be announced, then President Embaló announced that they had taken over, that they had arrested him. But from all indications, nobody was arrested.”
He called on ECOWAS and the African Union to ensure the election results are formally declared, arguing that regional observers had access to all the collated figures.
“They must announce that result,” he insisted. “They cannot force the military out, but they must announce those results,” Jonathan concluded.
