President Bola Ahmed Tinubu joined other West African heads of state and government on Thursday November 27th in an extraordinary virtual summit convened by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to address the political and security crisis following a military takeover in Guinea-Bissau.
The summit was triggered by events in Bissau on November 26th Wednesday when military officers reportedly seized power, detained President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and other top officials, and declared full control over the country. A one-year transitional government was announced, with Army General Horta N’Tam (also referred to as Horta Nta Na Man) named as head.
In his participation from Abuja, President Tinubu and his regional counterparts condemned what they described as an “unconstitutional change of government,” calling the coup a direct violation of democratic norms and the bloc’s protocols on good governance.
According to the communique issued after the virtual session, ECOWAS suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making bodies until constitutional order is restored. The bloc also demanded the immediate release of all detained officials and called for the electoral process abruptly interrupted by the takeover to resume without further delay.
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, through its spokesperson, reiterated the country’s deep concern over the developments and pledged full cooperation with ECOWAS and other regional partners to restore stability and constitutional governance in Guinea-Bissau. The virtual summit which had a strong representation from regional leaders, given the rapidly deteriorating situation in Guinea-Bissau signals ECOWAS’s urgent resolve to respond collectively and decisively to the wave of coups spreading across parts of West Africa. Analysts say the bloc’s swift diplomatic action could serve as a deterrent against further unconstitutional seizures of power.
