Former President Goouck Jonathan has told President Bola Tinubu that the recent coup in Guinea Bissau could best be described as a ceremonial take over of power by the military.
This came as he urged the leadership of the regional body, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to prevail on the junta to announce the outcome of the Presidential polls and release the opposition candidate from detention.
Responding to questions from newsmen after a meeting with the President, Jonathan said “I came this evening to brief Mr President what happened that is the tradition for former President ,all these regional and Continental issues whenever you are involved when you get back home you have to brief the President because likewise leaders will meet I will not be there ,so he will be able to get first hand information
“Just like I mentioned in the press briefing the key thing is that that election was concluded tallying of results was almost concluded. Infact the results are known and the key thing is that the winner of that election must be announced
“Well you cannot kick out the military force otherwise people will die, but let us know 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. 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 and 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
This was not even a palace coup, I was looking for the appropriate word to describe it I could not get; that is why I called it a ceremonial coup.
It was a ceremony conducted by the Head of State himself. That is why I say it was a ceremonial.”
