On Wednesday, military officers in the Portuguese-speaking
West African nation announced a takeover, suspended the country’s electoral
process, and declared they would be in control “until further notice”.

The coup came just days after the presidential election.

President Umaro Embaló, who is seeking re-election, and
Fernando Dias, his main opponent, both declared victory even though the
electoral commission had not released official results.

In a statement on Thursday, Nigeria’s ministry of foreign
affairs said it was deeply concerned about the coup.

“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,” Kimiebi Ebienfa, the ministry spokesperson, said.

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Guinea-Bissau and
call for the immediate and unconditional restoration of constitutional order,
the safety and security of all those detained and the full respect for the
sanctity of democratic institutions in Guinea-Bissau.

“The Nigerian Government wish to unequivocally call on the
authorities in Guinea-Bissau to ensure and guarantee the safety of all election
observers still in the country on official assignment.

“We warn that the perpetrators of this act will be held
accountable for their actions, which threaten to plunge the nation into chaos
and reverse the hard-won gains of its democracy.”

Former President Goodluck Jonathan is among African leaders
currently trapped in Guinea-Bissau following the coup.

Jonathan was one of the 36 high-profile observers on the
joint mission of the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS), and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) to monitor the
presidential election.

Nigeria said it would work closely with partners to take all
necessary measures to ensure the “swift return” to normalcy and constitutional
governance in Guinea-Bissau.