By Our Reporter
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who just returned from a mission trip in Guinea Bissau, has described the military coup in the country as a ‘ceremonial’ coup.
The former President made this assertion when he visited President Bola Tinubu on Saturday at the Aso villa in Abuja to give a report of his trip to Guinea Bissau as an international election observer.
The former Nigerian President denounced the coup report in the country after the election, saying that what happened in Guinea Bissau could best be described as a “ceremonial coup” carried out by the head of state.
Briefing Newsmen after his meeting with President Tinubu, Dr. Jonathan said that the results of the election was already known as a clear winner had emerged and condemned the arrest of the opposition candidate.
He said, “Just like I mentioned in the press briefing, the key thing is that, that election was concluded collation of results was almost concluded in fact, the results are known and the key thing is that the winner of that election must be announced.”
He said the coup was a ceremonial conducted by the Head of State himself, and demanded that the people should be told the winner of the election.
“So what I am asking the ECOWAS leadership to do is to reach out to the leadership in Guinea Bissau. Talk to them they are human beings they know the right thing to be done.
He continued: “First, for them to release the opposition man because the man has not committed any offense, he didn’t announce himself as the winner of the election. If he had done that they would say it’s a treasonable offence, so there is no reason to arrest him.
“And then, they should announce the result if the military would agree the person who won the elections should be inaugurated as the President of the country.
“We are tired of this in Africa. Everyday is negative story. What happened in Guinea Bissau is not what some people would call palace coup, it was not a palace coup we know, we know real coups, Palace coups we know in Nigeria,” adding that he lacked the appropriate word to describe what transpired in Guinea Bissau.