27th November, 2025
The Federal Government has strongly condemned the military coup in Guinea-Bissau, describing the unconstitutional takeover as a severe threat to democracy and regional stability in West Africa.
Military officers in the Portuguese-speaking nation announced on Wednesday that they had seized control of the government, suspended the electoral process indefinitely, and closed all borders. The coup, which occurred just days after the presidential election, came after both President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and his main challenger Fernando Dias separately declared victory despite the absence of official results from the electoral commission.
In a statement released Thursday by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Nigeria expressed “profound dismay and deep concern” over the development.
“This coup d’état represents a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which explicitly rejects any ascension to power through unconstitutional means,” Ebienfa stated.
The ministry emphasized Nigeria’s solidarity with the people of Guinea-Bissau and called for the immediate restoration of constitutional order, the safety of all detained individuals, and full respect for democratic institutions.
The government specifically called on authorities in Guinea-Bissau to guarantee the safety of election observers still in the country on official assignment.
Among those currently stranded in the West African nation is Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan, who led the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) observer mission alongside 36 other high-profile observers from the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and WAEF. The delegation was in Guinea-Bissau to monitor the November 23 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The heads of the three regional observer missions remain in the country under restricted movement, with borders closed and the situation tense.
The Nigerian government warned that perpetrators of the coup will be held accountable for their actions, which threaten to destabilize the nation and reverse democratic progress.
Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment as a key member of ECOWAS and the African Union to work closely with regional and international partners to ensure the swift return to normalcy and constitutional governance in Guinea-Bissau.