I Feel More Pain Than The Day I Called Buhari to Congratulate Umaro Sissoco Embalo.” — Jonathan

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, a committed champion of democracy, voiced intense concern over the reported military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, suggesting it was not a traditional coup but a maneuver planned by the sitting president. Speaking after his return from observing elections there, his comments underscored a deep worry about the potential reversal of democratic gains in the West African nation, calling on regional bodies to act decisively and without delay.

According to a video posted on the Official YouTube channel of SYMFONI, while addressing the reporter, former President Jonathan shared his personal distress, stating, “I feel more pain than the day I called Buhari to congratulate him.” He linked this strong emotion to the threat of Guinea-Bissau spiraling back into its “dark days” of military rule, a dark history he had invested considerable effort in helping to close.

Jonathan expressed utter disbelief regarding the supposed coup, noting the peculiar situation where President Umaro Sissoco Embaló announced his own arrest via his mobile phone to global media. He dismissed the incident as a real coup, controversially labeling it a “ceremonial coup,” suggesting the change of power was suspiciously stage-managed. This sequence of events, he noted, contradicts standard military practices during such hostile takeovers.

The former President urged both ECOWAS and the African Union, AU, to display unwavering bravery and refuse to be tricked by the bizarre nature of the events. His clearest demand was for the two organizations to immediately release the complete, collated election results, which they already possess. He firmly maintained that hiding the results amounts to disrespecting the votes cast by the nation’s citizens.

Finally, Jonathan demanded the prompt liberation of main opposition leader Fernando Dias, who remains detained despite not facing any legitimate charges or having committed a crime. He appealed to the Guinean military to avoid returning the country to the painful political instability witnessed between 2011 and 2014. He concluded by insisting that ECOWAS must maintain its firm stance against military regimes.

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