Goodluck Jonathan Dismisses Reports of Coup in Guinea-Bissau, Calls It a ‘Ceremonial Coup’

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has debunked widespread claims that Guinea-Bissau recently experienced a military coup, insisting the situation did not resemble a real takeover.

Jonathan made the clarification in a trending video after returning from a visit to the West African nation.

‘Embalo Announced the Coup First’ — Jonathan Questions the Sequence

According to the former president, the events in Guinea-Bissau were unusual and did not follow the pattern of a typical coup in Africa.

Jonathan explained that President Umaro Sissoco Embalo himself was the first to contact media houses, claiming there had been a coup — even before the military made any public statement.

He noted that it was only after Embalo’s announcement that soldiers came out to say they had taken control, a sequence he described as strange.

Why Jonathan Doubts the Coup Claim

Jonathan argued that soldiers do not normally allow an ousted president to freely communicate with the media during a coup.

In his words:

“What happened in Guinea-Bissau, I wouldn’t call it a coup. It was not a coup. For want of a better word, I will say it was a ceremonial coup. For two things: first, it was President Umaro Embalo who announced the coup before a military man came up to address the world that they are in charge. Embalo had already announced the coup, which is strange.”

He added:

“Not only announcing the coup, but Embalo, while the coup took place, was using his phone and addressing media organisations across the world that he had been arrested.”

‘Where Does This Happen?’ — Jonathan Challenges the Narrative

Jonathan emphasized that he has witnessed real coups firsthand, including during his role as ECOWAS mediator in Mali, and the Guinea-Bissau situation did not align with how genuine military takeovers unfold.

“I’m a Nigerian close to 70, and I know how they keep heads of state when a coup takes place. Recently, I was an ECOWAS mediator in Mali, and within that period, we had a military coup. The military doesn’t take over the government and allow the sitting President they overthrow to be addressing press conferences and announcing that he has been arrested. Where does this happen? Who is fooling whom?”

The former president’s remarks have sparked fresh conversations online about the true nature of the political drama in Guinea-Bissau.

See video below;