The Federal Government has confirmed that former President Goodluck Jonathan has been successfully evacuated from Guinea-Bissau, where he was trapped following the country’s sudden military takeover earlier in the week.
Jonathan, who led the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission for last Sunday’s presidential and legislative polls, was caught in the political upheaval after the military announced it had assumed control.
Speaking in Abuja, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, assured that Jonathan and his delegation were no longer in harm’s way.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau,” Ebienfa said. “He left on a special flight with members of his delegation, including Mohamed Chambas.”
The former president had been on the ground observing the electoral process when soldiers declared they had seized power, citing alleged threats to the integrity of the election.
His evacuation, alongside seasoned mediator Mohamed Ibn Chambas, brings relief to Nigerian officials and regional bodies monitoring the fast-developing situation.
Jonathan has become a key figure in West Africa’s mediation and democratic oversight missions, regularly leading or participating in observation deployments across the continent.
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