Former President Goodluck Jonathan has provided a detailed account of the events that resulted in his return to Nigeria on an aircraft dispatched by Côte d’Ivoire, following the outbreak of significant political turmoil in Guinea-Bissau earlier that week.
He provided this explanation during a recent interview, which represents his initial public statement since the episode generated considerable apprehension within Nigeria.
Jonathan, who had been present in Guinea-Bissau serving as the leader of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission, stated that the unrest in the capital city of Bissau created widespread alarm throughout Nigeria, leading him to address openly the substantial expressions of support and concern voiced by the public.
He disclosed that both President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire promptly arranged for the deployment of aircraft to extract him and the other members of his delegation as soon as intelligence regarding gunfire and the potential for further instability began to emerge.
Jonathan elaborated that the geographical closeness of Côte d’Ivoire to Guinea-Bissau, combined with the established relationships between Francophone and Lusophone nations in the region, facilitated the rapid granting of the necessary permissions for an Ivorian aircraft to enter Guinea-Bissau’s airspace. Consequently, the aircraft from Côte d’Ivoire was already proceeding toward Bissau at the time when Nigeria was still in the process of securing comparable authorization.
He further explained that once he received confirmation that the Nigerian aircraft had ultimately been granted approval to depart, he and his delegation chose not to interrupt the evacuation operation that was already underway from Côte d’Ivoire.
“That is why, if you look at the images from our return, you will see that we came in on an Ivorian aircraft,” he said.
The former president took the occasion to express his formal gratitude to both President Tinubu and President Ouattara for their decisive actions, underscoring that their coordinated response reflected a clear dedication to ensuring his personal security as well as to fostering effective collaboration among neighboring countries in the region.
“I sincerely appreciate Nigerians, and I want them to hear directly from my mouth to appreciate their concern. And secondly, to thank my president, President Tinubu, and the Ivorian president, President Ouattara,” he said. He also extended his thanks to citizens of Nigeria without regard to their political affiliations, ethnic backgrounds, or religious identities, recognizing the broad national sentiment of worry that arose in response to the initial reports of disorder in Guinea-Bissau.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli