Jonathan: How I left Guinea-Bissau after coup

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has disclosed how he left Guinea-Bissau after a sudden coup in the West African country.

Jonathan disclosed that he left Guinea-Bissau aboard an Ivorian aircraft, saying an evacuation jet from President Bola Tinubu was also being prepared but arrived later than Cote d’Ivoire’s.

The former president, who was in Guinea-Bissau as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission, spoke in an interview with Symfoni posted on YouTube on Friday, November 28, 2025.

He said he decided to address Nigerians directly to express gratitude for the “empathy and encouragement” he received after news of the unrest spread.

“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 or political divides,” he said.

Jonathan revealed that both Tinubu and Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara made arrangements to evacuate him and his delegation.

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He said Cote d’Ivoire, however, secured a landing permit before Nigeria due to what he described as longstanding ties between francophone and lusophone nations in the region.

He added: “Both presidents were to send aircraft to lift us

“But somehow, you know Cote d’Ivoire is closer to Guinea-Bissau, and there’s always some relationship between the Francophone countries and the Lusophones. They were able to penetrate their system to get a landing permit before Nigeria could do that.”

Jonathan said the Ivorian aircraft was already airborne when he was notified that the Nigerian jet had also been cleared to depart.

“So when we learnt that the Nigerian aircraft was about leaving, we asked them not to bother. That is why, if you see the pictures, I was brought home by an Ivorian aircraft,” he said.

Jonathan thanked Presidents Tinubu and Ouattara, as well as Nigerians “young and old,” for their concern and support over the incident.

The Star