The former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has called for the release of the results of the election conducted in Guinea Bissau.
Briefing Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on the political impasse in Guinea Bissau on Saturday, Dr. Jonathan, who served as the head of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observer Mission to Guinea-Bissau, stated that the military takeover led to the abrupt suspension of the electoral process which has drawn global condemnation,
Jonathan told journalists after the closed-door meeting with President Tinubu he came to brief the President about recent political developments in Guinea Bissau.
“I came this evening to brief Mr President what happened that is the tradition for former President, all these regional and continental issues whenever you are involved when you get back home you have to brief the President because likewise leaders will meet I will not be there, so he will be able to get first hand information,” he said.
He disclosed that what happened in Guinea Bissau was not a military coup, but a ceremonial coup masterminded by the ousted President, Umaro Sissoco Embalo.
“What happened in Guinea Bissau is not what some people would call palace coup, it was not a palace coup, we know, we know real coups, palace coups we know in Nigeria.
“This was not even a palace coup, I was looking for the appropriate word to describe it, I could not get that is why I called it a ceremonial coup. It was a ceremony conducted by the Head of State himself that is why I say it was a ceremonial coup,” he said.
According to local media reports on Sunday, Jonathan urged the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to reach out to the military junta on the need for them to release the results of the concluded presidential poll and possibly inaugurate the winner as president.
“The key thing is that the election was concluded tallying of results was almost concluded infact the results are known and the key thing is that the winner of that election must be announced
“Well you cannot kick out the military with force otherwise people will die, but let us know the winner of the election
“So what I am asking the ECOWAS leadership to do is to reach out to the leadership in Guinea Bissau. Talk to them they are human beings they know the right thing to be done. “First for them to release the opposition man because the man has not committed any offense, he didn’t announce himself as the winner of the election if he had done that they would say it’s a treasonable offence so there is no reason to arrest him.
“And then they should announce the result and if the military would agree the person who won the elections should be inaugurated as the President of the country,” he added.
It will be recalled that Dr. Jonathan was trapped in Guinea-Bissau, due to the military takeover, but was later evacuated by the aircraft belonging to the Ivorian authorities,
Meanwhile, the Authority of Heads of State and Governments of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended Guinea-Bissau from all decision-making bodies of the regional bloc, while Nigeria, Ghana have condemned the military intervention in Guinea Bissau.
GIK/APA