Former President Goodluck Jonathan clarified his return from Guinea-Bissau on an Ivorian jet, explaining that Côte d’Ivoire secured an earlier landing permit than Nigeria amid political unrest, thanking Presidents Tinubu and Ouattara.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has explained that he flew back to Nigeria aboard an Ivorian aircraft after the recent political unrest in Guinea-Bissau because Côte d’Ivoire obtained landing clearance before Nigeria, even though President Bola Tinubu had also readied a jet.
Speaking in an interview with Symfoni, Jonathan said he felt compelled to address the incident “to thank Nigerians for the show of empathy and encouragement,” noting that the nation had been anxious after gunfire erupted around key institutions in Bissau. He said both Tinubu and Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara arranged evacuation plans, but the Ivorian team acted faster due to “some relationship between the Francophone countries and the Lusophones.”
According to him, “They were able to penetrate their system to get a landing permit before Nigeria could do that,” prompting him to board the Ivorian jet even though the Nigerian aircraft was later cleared. He thanked “the two presidents… and indeed Nigerians, young and old” for their concern during the episode.