ABUJA, Nigeria — Former President Goodluck Jonathan has safely returned to Nigeria after being evacuated from Guinea-Bissau following a military coup in the West African nation.
Jonathan arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on the evening of Thursday, November 27, 2025, after a flight from Guinea-Bissau.
A video of his arrival showed Jonathan disembarking from a Guinea-Bissau government aircraft as a group of supporters and officials gathered to welcome him.
Jonathan had been in Guinea-Bissau as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission to monitor the country’s presidential and legislative elections, which were held last Sunday, November 23, 2025.
Jonathan’s delegation was still carrying out its election monitoring duties when military officers announced that they had taken control of the government on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
The soldiers declared that the electoral process had been suspended and that they would remain in charge “until further notice.”
The announcement led to widespread concern about the safety of international observers in the country, including Jonathan and other members of his delegation.
Reports emerged of Jonathan being stranded in the country as the political situation quickly unraveled.
In response, the Nigerian House of Representatives called on the federal government to take diplomatic action to ensure the safe return of Jonathan and his team.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed the evacuation, with spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa issuing a statement assuring the public that Jonathan was “very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau.”
Ebienfa added that the former president had departed on a special flight, accompanied by members of his delegation, including Mohamed Chambas.
The Nigerian government also pledged to work closely with international partners to restore normalcy and constitutional governance in Guinea-Bissau.
“We will take all necessary measures to ensure the swift return to normality and constitutional governance in Guinea-Bissau,” the government said in a statement.
The military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, which is one of several such coups across West Africa in recent years, has raised concerns about the stability of the region.
The coup leaders, who took power just ahead of the release of the presidential election results, have imposed a curfew and closed the country’s borders.
