Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described the recent political upheaval in Guinea-Bissau as a ‘ceremonial coup’, rather than a traditional military takeover.
Jonathan made the remarks on Friday after returning to Abuja, following his dismissal from the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) election observation mission in Guinea-Bissau where he had been caught up in the crisis.
According to him, the circumstances surrounding the takeover — including the fact that President Umaro Sissoco Embaló himself announced the change of power — defy the usual pattern of coups in West Africa.
He said: “What happened in Guinea-Bissau, I wouldn’t call it a coup. It was not a coup. Perhaps some people would describe it as such, for lack of a better word. I would say maybe it was a ceremonial coup.”
He went on to highlight how unusual it was for a sitting president, allegedly “overthrown,” to continue using his phone and address media organisations.
According to Jonathan: “Not only did he announce the coup, but … while the coup was taking place, he was using his phone and addressing media organisations across the world, claiming he had been arrested.”
The takeover occurred on 26 November 2025, following general elections held just days prior. Military officers announced they had assumed “total control”, suspended the electoral process, and closed the country’s borders.
In response, regional and continental bodies, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU), swiftly condemned the takeover, suspended Guinea-Bissau from their decision-making organs, and demanded the immediate restoration of constitutional order.
Jonathan called on ECOWAS and the AU to tally the collated election results, which were collected across all nine regions where polling was conducted, and declare the winner. He argued that the election results must not be held hostage.
“They have the results, because AU and ECOWAS officials were at all regions when the results were collated,” he said. “They cannot change those results. They should tally all those results and announce. … They must announce … Let the world know who won that election.”
Jonathan also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of opposition leader Fernando Dias, who remains in custody. He said Dias had “not committed any offence” and should be freed without delay.
Reflecting on his experiences mediating past crises, including the post-election standoff in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire in 2010, Jonathan emphasised that democracy must rest on respect for the will of the people, not the whims of the military.
He noted the painful irony that the man who chaired the ECOWAS authority before the coup, Embaló, a former senior military figure, presided over the disruption of a democratic process, when instead he “should be the person that can prevent any coup in Guinea-Bissau.”
While condemning the takeover, Jonathan described the events as one of the most disturbing he had witnessed. He said it pained him more than the day he lost Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election—a loss he accepted peacefully.
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