Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is safe and has left Guinea-Bissau following the military coup that overthrew the country’s government, the Federal Government confirmed on Thursday.

Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told journalists in Abuja that “Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau.”

Jonathan had been in Guinea-Bissau as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission, monitoring last Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections before the military announced it had seized power.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, Filipe Nyusi, former president of Mozambique and head of the African Union Election Observation Mission, Issifu Kamara, head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, and Jonathan condemned the coup, describing it as a direct attempt to disrupt Guinea-Bissau’s democratic process.

They called for calm and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the country during this sensitive period, stressing the importance of peace, stability, and the well-being of the Bissau-Guinean people.

The Federal Government also strongly condemned the coup, warning that it threatens democracy and regional stability. Jonathan, part of a joint election observer mission deployed by the AU, ECOWAS, and WAEF, had been placed under military protection as tensions escalated.

The takeover came after both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias claimed victory in Sunday’s election, despite official results not being released.

Soldiers subsequently announced the suspension of the electoral process, closure of borders, and enforcement of a nationwide curfew.

Earlier on Thursday, the Nigerian House of Representatives urged the Federal Government to ensure Jonathan’s safe return to Nigeria and to assist other Nigerians trapped in the country. Lawmakers called for all diplomatic measures to be activated in securing their return.