President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday received former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa in Abuja following Jonathan’s return from Guinea-Bissau.

The visit was disclosed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on X.

He stated that Jonathan had returned from an election monitoring assignment in Guinea-Bissau, where he led the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observation Mission.

Jonathan had travelled to the country to observe its electoral process, but his stay became uncertain when military officers announced they had taken “total control” of the nation, suspended the electoral process, and closed all borders.

Following the military intervention, the Nigerian Government confirmed Jonathan’s safe evacuation through a special flight. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the takeover as an “unconstitutional change of government,” warning that it threatened Guinea-Bissau’s democracy and regional stability.

Upon his return, Jonathan described the event as a “ceremonial coup” rather than a complete overthrow and urged authorities to resume the announcement of election results.

Regional blocs, including ECOWAS and the African Union, have condemned the coup and suspended Guinea-Bissau from their activities pending the restoration of constitutional order.