Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has bared his mind on X after former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, said, the coup in Guinea-Bissau “appeared suspicious”.
Jonathan, who was in Guinea-Bissau when the coup happened as an election observer, described the coup as “suspicious” because it was “the president himself who announced the coup”.
In his reaction to Jonathan’s statement, Obi said, Nigeria’s election was “marred by a “technical glitch””, while, Guinea-Bissau’s election “seems to have suffered from a “coup glitch””.
The 2023 Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate then asked, how come the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) “quickly” sanctioned Guinea-Bissau, but, has no idea of what to do “when democracy is subverted by technology?”
He said, “true democracy” can only flourish when “transparency and accountability prevail”.
In his reaction titled ‘Reflecting on the ‘Coup Glitches’ in Guinea-Bissau’, Obi said: “To my distress, I learned that our former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, was caught up in the reported coup situation in Guinea-Bissau. I immediately reached out to him, and he assured me that he was safe. I was further relieved to hear that he had returned safely to Nigeria.
“I listened carefully to his press briefing about the incident. Dr. @GEJonathan, who was in Guinea-Bissau as an election monitor, noted that the so-called coup appeared suspicious—especially because it was the president himself who announced the coup and shared details with the international community.
“What makes the situation even more striking is that the election was reportedly peaceful, with the only remaining step being the formal announcement of the results.
“It is safe to say that while Nigeria’s own election was marred by a “technical glitch,” the election in Guinea-Bissau seems to have suffered from a “coup glitch.” Yet, to this day, no one has clearly explained the nature of Nigeria’s glitch.
“ECOWAS was quick to sanction Guinea-Bissau, but what does ECOWAS do when democracy is subverted not by soldiers, but by technology?
“What is the punishment for countries that announce ‘glitches’ at critical moments during an election? Do we only condemn coups that are visible with guns and ignore those carried out through a designed technical failures?
“True democracy can only thrive when transparency and accountability prevail, and when the voice of the people is respected, not interrupted by glitches or coups.”
