Former President Goodluck Jonathan has thanked President Bola Tinubu and his Côte d’Ivoire counterpart Alassane Ouattara for swift response to get him out of Guinea-Bissau where he was trapped following the military coup in the country.
Penpushing reports that Jonathan who returned to Nigeria aboard an Ivorian aircraft explained that following the recent political unrest in Guinea-Bissau, Tinubu had prepared to dispatch a jet before Côte d’Ivoire secured an earlier landing permit.
The former President stated that he felt compelled to speak to thank Nigerians for the show of empathy and encouragement after the incident, pointing out that he was aware of the national anxiety that followed the reports.
“While we were in Bissau and this so-called coup happened, the information we got was that the whole country was agitated, young and old, irrespective of religious or political divides,” he said.
Penpushing further reports that he said both President Tinubu and Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara made arrangements to evacuate him and his delegation from Bissau, adding that the Ivorian team secured landing clearance first due to what he described as stronger regional links.
‘And I sincerely appreciate Nigerians, and I want them to hear directly from my mouth to appreciate their concern. And secondly, to thank my president, President Tinubu, and the Ivorian president, President Ouattara’, he stated.
“Both presidents were to send aircraft to lift us, but somehow you know Côte d’Ivoire is closer to Guinea-Bissau, and there’s always some relationship between the Francophone countries and the Lusophones, who are among the Francophones. They were able to penetrate their system to get a landing permit before Nigeria could do that. So the Ivorian aircraft was already on its way to pick us up’, he added.
Penpushing also reports that Jonathan explained that the Ivorian team secured landing clearance first due to what he described as stronger regional links, adding that Côte d’Ivoire’s aircraft was already en route when he was informed that the Nigerian jet had received approval to depart.
“So when we learnt that the Nigerian aircraft were about leaving, we asked them not to bother. That is why, if you see the pictures, I was brought by an Ivorian aircraft. So we thank the two presidents, and indeed thank Nigerians, young and old, for that,” he said.
Penpushing reports that it would be recalled that Jonathan, was in the country as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission, when the military struck to take over power.
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