Former President Goodluck Jonathan has explained why he returned to Nigeria aboard an Ivorian aircraft after recent political unrest in Guinea-Bissau, stating that President Bola Tinubu had also prepared to dispatch a Nigerian jet, but Côte d’Ivoire secured an earlier landing permit.
Jonathan, who was in Guinea-Bissau as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission, made the remarks in an interview posted on YouTube by Symfoni on Friday.
This was his first public comment since gunfire erupted around key government institutions in Bissau, prompting reports of a possible coup.
He said he spoke “to thank Nigerians for the show of empathy and encouragement” and noted his awareness of the national concern following the incident. “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.
According to Jonathan, both President Tinubu and Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara made arrangements to evacuate him and his delegation. However, he said the Ivorian team obtained landing clearance first due to what he described as stronger regional links. “Both presidents were to send aircraft to lift us, but somehow you know Côte d’Ivoire is closer to Guinea-Bissau, and there’s always some relationship between the Francophone countries and the Lusophones, who are among the Francophones. They were able to penetrate their system to get a landing permit before Nigeria could do that. So the Ivorian aircraft was already on its way to pick us up,” he said.
Jonathan explained that by the time the Nigerian jet received approval to depart, the Ivorian aircraft was already en route. “So when we learnt that the Nigerian aircraft were about leaving, we asked them not to bother. That is why, if you see the pictures, I was brought by an Ivorian aircraft,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to both leaders and to Nigerians for their concern during the episode. “And 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. So we thank the two presidents, President Ouattara and President Tinubu, and indeed thank Nigerians, young and old, for that,” he added.
