The Federal government said on Thursday that former President Goodluck Jonathan is safe and has left Guinea-Bissau after the military coup in that country.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said this in Abuja on Thursday, bringing relief to Nigerians after he was believed to have be trapped in that country.
Ebienfa said: “Former President Goodluck Jonathan is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau.
“The former president left with a special flight with members of his delegation, including Mohamed Chambas.”
Jonathan and other African leaders were reported to have been trapped in Guinea-Bissau after the military announced the forceful takeover of power.
Wednesday’s army takeover came one day before provisional results had been expected to be announced in the race between President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and Fernando Dias, a 47-year-old political newcomer who had emerged as Embalo’s top challenger to run the West African nation.
Ahead of the coup announcement, witnesses said gunfire rang out in the capital Bissau for about an hour near the electoral commission headquarters and presidential palace.
Guinea-Bissau’s military high command on Thursday inaugurated General Horta Nta as the head of the military government.
Nta was the Army Chief of Staff until the coup and a close ally of deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo.
However, ECOWAS spokesperson, Joel Ahofodji, said Jonathan, who had been observing the election as part of the West African Elders Forum, was not reachable on Thursday.
“I wouldn’t say that he (Goodluck Jonathan) and others are trapped in Guinea-Bissau, but we don’t know his whereabouts,” Ahofodji said.