The House of Representatives has raised national concern over the safety of former President Goodluck Jonathan after receiving reports that he remains in Guinea-Bissau following the recent coup in the country.
Jonathan was in Guinea-Bissau as part of a joint mission by the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the West African Elders Forum to monitor last weekend’s presidential election when the coup occurred.
Lawmakers made the appeal during Thursday’s plenary after Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu highlighted what he described as an urgent matter requiring immediate consideration, prompting the Leader of the House, Julius Ihonvbere, to brief members on Jonathan’s situation and the need for coordinated intervention by relevant authorities.
Ihonvbere told the chamber that Jonathan was in the country on an international election-monitoring assignment, noting that his presence overseas aligns with long-standing engagements he has undertaken for ECOWAS, the Commonwealth, the African Union, and other global bodies where he has observed elections in Zimbabwe, Liberia, Ghana, Mozambique, Pakistan, Tanzania, and South Africa.
The House Leader explained that the former president was caught in the political upheaval when the coup unfolded, stressing that the issue before lawmakers was not the legitimacy of events in Guinea-Bissau but the safety of a former Nigerian leader whose international work has earned the country considerable diplomatic respect.
“Currently, he is in Guinea-Bissau due to the coup,” he said, adding that government agencies were already aware of the situation and were taking steps to ensure his safe return home without delay,” he stated.
Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda backed the motion and argued that Jonathan’s globally recognised role in strengthening democratic values should not overshadow the need to extend the same level of concern to every Nigerian abroad, insisting that national protection must not be selective.
“The importance we attach to his life should also apply to every other Nigerian, whether at home or abroad,” Chinda said as lawmakers considered the broader implications of the matter for Nigeria’s diplomatic posture.
The House eventually adopted the resolution through a voice vote, calling on the Federal Government to activate all necessary diplomatic channels to guarantee Jonathan’s safe return and reaffirming the longstanding principle that the security of citizens, including former leaders, remains central to Nigeria’s foreign policy and domestic governance priorities.
