Former President Goodluck Jonathan has explained why he returned to Nigeria aboard an Ivorian aircraft amid the coup in Guinea-Bissau.
He explained that while both President Bola Tinubu and Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara made arrangements to evacuate him and his delegation from Bissau, the Ivorian team secured landing clearance first due to its proximity.
READ ALSO: Jonathan Returns To Nigeria After Being Trapped In Coup-Hit Guinea-Bissau
While speaking with journalists during an interview, he said, “You know, since I left office, I’ve always been scared of talking to the media. But in this particular case, I decided to speak to the media, first and foremost, to thank Nigerians for the show of empathy, the encouragement.
“While we were in Bissau, and this so-called coup happened, the information we got was that the whole country was agitated, young and old, irrespective of religious divides or political divides, and I sincerely appreciate Nigerians, and I want them to hear directly from my mouth to appreciate their concern, and secondly, to thank my president, President Tinubu, and the Ivorian president, President Ouattara.
“Both presidents were to send aircraft to lift us, but somehow you know Côte d’Ivoire is closer to Guinea-Bissau, and there’s always some relationship between the Francophone countries and the Lusophones, who are among the Francophones.”
The former president said though the Nigerian aircraft was about to depart for Guinea-Bissau, he urged them not to bother since the Ivorian aircraft had been cleared.
“They [Ivorian authorities] were able to penetrate their system to get a landing permit before Nigeria could do that. So the Ivorian aircraft was already on its way to pick us up.
“So when we learnt that the Nigerian aircraft were about leaving, we asked them not to bother. That is why, if you see the pictures, I was brought by an Ivorian aircraft,” he said in the interview posted on YouTube by Symfoni on Friday.
Jonathan returned to Nigeria on Thursday after being trapped in coup-hit Guinea-Bissau, where he went for election observation.
He arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja late Thursday, about two days after military officers took over power in the West African country.
The former president monitored the presidential and parliamentary elections as head of the West African Elders Forum Observation Mission.
His team, that of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), was still carrying out their duties when the military struck in Guinea-Bissau.
The development left the former Bayelsa governor stranded, alongside others in the observation team, raising concerns over his safety.
However, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the former president is safe and has left Guinea-Bissau.
‘Total Control’
Guinea-Bissau military officers took “total control” of the country on Wednesday, suspending the nation’s electoral process and closing its borders, days after presidential and legislative elections.
Following the coup, the head of the presidential military office, General Denis N’Canha, said a command “composed of all branches of the armed forces, was taking over the leadership of the country until further notice”.
The officers arrested President Umaro Embalo, who had been favoured to win Sunday’s election, though he left for Senegal.
A day after the coup, the military named the chief of staff of the army, General Horta N’Tam, as the country’s new leader for one year.
