(DDM) — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday received former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the Presidential Villa in Abuja following Jonathan’s safe return from a fraught election-monitoring mission in Guinea-Bissau.
The visit marks a dramatic conclusion to what had become a tense and uncertain diplomatic mission. Jonathan had traveled to Guinea-Bissau leading the election observation team of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), tasked with monitoring presidential and legislative elections held in the West African state last Sunday.
While in Bissau, the delegation’s mission was abruptly disrupted when military officers declared “total control,” suspended the electoral process, and shut down the country’s borders. Reports of the seizure of key institutions and the declaration of military rule triggered alarm across the region, and among Nigerians, who worried for the safety of Jonathan and others in the mission.
As tensions mounted, the government of Nigeria moved swiftly. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the safe evacuation of Jonathan and his team via a special flight. On his return, Jonathan explained that the evacuation was eventually carried out using an aircraft from Côte d’Ivoire because the Ivorian authorities secured landing clearance before Nigeria, a decision dictated by logistics rather than preference.
At the State House reception, Tinubu welcomed Jonathan personally, a move that signals the government’s commitment to regional diplomacy and underscores Nigeria’s interest in the political stability of neighboring states.
Jonathan said his return was to brief Tinubu in person on what transpired in Guinea-Bissau. He insisted that, despite the military takeover, the election results should be announced, describing the intervention as a “ceremonial coup” rather than a full-blown overthrow.
He also urged regional bodies like ECOWAS and the African Union to engage with the military junta and press for a peaceful restoration of constitutional order.
For Nigeria, this event places the country once again at the heart of regional democratic defense. As a major regional power and former chair of ECOWAS’s Authority of Heads of State and Government, Abuja’s handling of Jonathan’s evacuation and the diplomatic fallout reflects its ongoing role in West Africa’s stability.
Observers say the reception of Jonathan by Tinubu could serve multiple purposes: a show of national solidarity and concern for the safety of Nigerian citizens abroad; a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to democratic processes in the region; and a warning to military actors against subverting electoral outcomes.
The developments also highlight enduring fragility in Guinea-Bissau, and by extension the broader vulnerability of West African democracies to abrupt military intervention, raising serious questions about election integrity, civilian control of the military, and the ability of regional organizations to safeguard democratic norms.
As the dust settles, many will be watching closely to see whether the coup leaders in Guinea-Bissau heed demands for transparency and release of election results, and whether Nigeria, through diplomatic pressure and regional influence, can help steer a return to constitutional order.