- Safiu Kehinde
The Federal Government has allayed concerns over the safety of former President Goodluck Jonathan, disclosing that he has left Guinea-Bissau following the military coup that toppled the country’s government.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson, made this known in an interview with journalists in Abuja.
NPO Reported that Jonathan was alongside other foreign observers of the Guinea-Bissau’s Presidential election left stranded in the West African country following the military takeover and arrest of President Umalo Embalo yesterday.
In what was described as a Palace coup, the incumbent President was arrested ahead of the election results billed to be announced on Thursday.
The military action and declaration of country’s takeover after Embolo’s arrest however stalled the announcement of the result with all election observers who had monitored the Sunday poll left stranded, including Jonathan who led the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission.
According to reports, gunshots were heard in the capital, Bissau but it was not immediately clear who was involved in the shooting or if there were any casualties.
The officers then appeared on state TV, saying they had suspended the electoral process.
They said they were acting to thwart a plot by unnamed politicians who had “the support of a well-known drug baron” to destabilise the country and announced the closure of its borders and imposed a night-time curfew.
Addressing newsmen today, Ebienfa announced that Jonathan has left the country.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement, leaders of election observation missions from the African Union and the West African bloc Ecowas expressed “deep concern with the announcement of a coup d’etat by the armed forces”.
They said the country had been prepared for the announcement of the election results after what it described as an “orderly and peaceful” process.
“It’s regrettable that this announcement came at a time when the missions had just concluded meeting with the two leading presidential candidates, who assured us of their willingness to accept the will of the people,” they said.