Former President Goodluck Jonathan has showered praises on both Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara for their prompt actions to rescue him and his team following the coup in Guinea-Bissau.
“They dispatched planes to evacuate me and my team in a record time.”
In an interview with newsmen, he explained that the Ivorian plane arrived first because Côte d’Ivoire “is closer and received landing approval faster due to regional ties.”
He said they asked the Nigerian plane to stand down once the Ivorian aircraft was ready to transport them.
He expressed his gratitude to both leaders for their readiness to assist during the tense situation, saying that their prompt response helped ensure the safety of his delegation amid the political crisis.
He said: “I thank President Tinubu & President Ouattara. Both sent planes to evacuate us during the Guinea-Bissau coup. Côte d’Ivoire is closer & got landing permit faster due to regional ties. We asked Nigeria to stand down since the Ivorian plane had arrived.”
Jonathan was in Guinea-Bissau to serve as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission to oversee last Sunday’s presidential and legislative polls.
He arrived in the country to monitor national elections, even as tensions brewed over contested results before the junta finally struck.
Jonathan’s team was still discharging its mandate when the military declared it had taken control of government operations.
Reacting to the coup, Jonathan, speaking jointly with continental and regional observer leaders, condemned the takeover, describing it as a sinister attempt to sabotage the electoral process and truncated democracy.
