Former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has dismissed widespread reports claiming that Guinea-Bissau recently experienced a military coup.
Jonathan made the clarification in a trending video shortly after returning to Nigeria from the West African nation.
Embaló “announced the coup first”
According to Jonathan, the events in Guinea-Bissau did not follow the standard pattern of an actual military takeover. He explained that President Umaro Sissoco Embaló himself was the first person to contact media organisations, announcing that a coup was underway—before the military made any public statement.
Military response came after Embaló’s announcement
Jonathan noted that it was only after Embaló’s public declaration that soldiers emerged to say they had taken control of the government. He described the sequence of events as highly unusual and inconsistent with how coups typically unfold in Africa.
Why Jonathan doubts the coup narrative
The former president said his skepticism is based on his deep understanding of how soldiers treat sitting leaders during real coups. He argued that Embaló’s experience did not reflect what normally happens when a head of state is overthrown.
In his words:
“What happened in Guinea-Bissau, I wouldn’t call it a coup. It was not a coup. For want of a better word, I will say it was a ceremonial coup. For two reasons: first, it was President Umaro Embaló who announced the coup before any military officer came forward to say they were in charge. This is strange.”
He further stated:
“Not only did he announce the coup, but during the supposed takeover, Embaló was using his phone to speak with media organisations around the world, saying he had been arrested.”
“Where does this happen?” – Jonathan questions the narrative
Jonathan stressed that he has witnessed real coup situations, including during his role as ECOWAS mediator in Mali.
He said:
“I’m a Nigerian close to 70, and I know how heads of state are handled during coups. Recently, while serving as an ECOWAS mediator in Mali, there was a military coup. In such situations, no overthrown president is allowed to address the press freely or announce that he has been arrested. Where does this happen? Who is fooling whom?”
A video of Jonathan’s remarks has since circulated widely on social media.
Source: gistreel
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment