Why I Feel Guinea-Bissau Coup was Staged — Jonathan

Goodluck Jonathan has cast doubt on claims of a military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, suggesting the events that unfolded during the tense post-election period appeared orchestrated rather than an actual coup.

Jonathan, who led a team of international observers to monitor Sunday’s presidential election, said the situation became suspicious when both leading contenders — President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias — declared victory before official results were announced. Soon after, a faction of military officers announced they had taken “total control” of the country, suspended the electoral process and shut all borders.

Embaló phoned international media to say he had been “deposed” and was being held at military headquarters. Jonathan said this account contradicted every known coup scenario he had witnessed or mediated elsewhere in West Africa, noting that deposed leaders are never allowed to grant interviews freely while supposedly in custody.

Jonathan, evacuated to Nigeria after spending hours stranded in Bissau, described the incident as “a ceremonial coup” and said it appeared to be driven by the incumbent president, not the military. He noted that election results from all nine regions had already been collated and were awaiting final declaration when Embaló suddenly claimed a coup was underway.

The former Nigerian leader urged ECOWAS and the African Union to release the authenticated results immediately, stressing that their officials were present at every collation centre and had full access to verified figures. According to him, announcing the results is essential to protect the integrity of the process and prevent manipulation under the guise of political instability.

Jonathan said it was particularly unsettling that Embaló, a retired military officer and former ECOWAS chair known for his vocal stance against coups, would be linked to a situation that disrupted the electoral transition.