November 27, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has been stranded in Guinea Bissau after a sudden military takeover disrupted political activities and shut down all international movement in the country.
Jonathan had travelled to Bissau as part of a delegation of foreign observers for the nation’s general elections. Although voting was completed and results were still being awaited, the political process was thrown into uncertainty when military officers seized power.
According to reports from Bissau, hundreds of foreign observers, diplomats, and international officials have been unable to leave the country after the military abruptly closed all borders, including air and land routes. Some delegates who attempted to reach the airport shortly after learning of the coup were reportedly turned back by security forces enforcing the shutdown.
The political tensions escalated a day after both leading candidates—incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition contender Fernando Dias—separately claimed victory, raising concerns of a disputed outcome.
In a statement broadcast across local media, the group identifying itself as the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order announced that it had assumed “total control” of the country. The officers declared the electoral process suspended “until further notice,” citing instability and irregularities as justification for their intervention.
Regional bodies such as ECOWAS and the African Union are expected to issue formal responses as diplomatic efforts intensify to restore constitutional order and secure the safe evacuation of stranded international observers, including Jonathan.
