Former President Goodluck Jonathan has insisted that no genuine coup took place in Guinea Bissau, despite widespread reports following the countrys tense presidential election.
Jonathan questioned the legitimacy of the so called coup announced on Wednesday just as the presidential election result was about to be declared. He described the development as unusual and largely ceremonial noting that it was strange for a sitting president to be the one announcing a coup against himself.
Reports indicated that General Horta Inta A Na Man was sworn in on November 27 2025 after a military takeover that supposedly removed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló. But Jonathan who served as part of a joint election observer mission deployed by the African Union ECOWAS and the West African Elders Forum said the narrative did not add up.
He argued that Embaló himself a former senior military officer could not be easily overthrown insisting that questionable details surrounding the takeover suggested a staged scenario. Military authorities in the country had declared that they had assumed control suspended all electoral activities and closed national borders.
Jonathan said “Because for two things it is the president President Embaló that announced it. And specifically what happened in Guinea Bissau I wouldnt call it a coup. It was not a coup. Maybe some people describe it as not quite… for want of a better word I will say maybe a ceremonial coup because for two things it is the president President Embaló that announced it before later the military man came up to address the world that they were in charge.
“Then Embaló had already announced it which is strange not only announcing the coup but while the coup took place he was using his phone and addressing media organizations across the world that he had been arrested.
“I mean Im a Nigerian close to 70 years and I know how they keep heads of state when a coup takes place.
“Recently I was a mediator in Mali and within that period we had a military coup. Militaries dont take over government and the sitting president that they overthrow would be allowed to be addressing press conferences and announcing that they are being arrested.
“Who is fooling who Basically what happened in Guinea Bissau is quite disturbing to me who believes in democracy. In fact I feel more pains than the day I called Buhari to congratulate him when I lost the election.”
