Tinubu meets Jonathan in Aso Rock after Guinea-Bissau coup debacle (PHOTOS)

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday met with one of his predecessors, Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa. The visit followed on Jonathan’s return to Nigeria from Guinea-Bissau where he went for election monitoring mission that ended up in military takeover of the country.

Jonathan who is the head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission was stranded alongside other election observers following the coup.

There were concerns over his safety in Nigeria and many had called on Federal Government to initiate the process of evacuating the former President back to the country.

However, Jonathan eventually returned to Nigeria on Friday aboard an Ivorian aircraft. This resulted into criticisms from some Nigerians who accused the Tinubu’s administration of abandoning Jonathan in Guinea-Bissau.

However, Jonathan had in an interview faulted the criticisms as he revealed that that President Tinubu and Côte d’Ivoire’s President, Alassane Ouattara, had prepared to ferry him and his delegation out of Guinea-Bissau.

But he noted that Côte d’Ivoire was able to secure a landing permit earlier than Nigeria due to what he described as stronger regional links.

“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 said.

He added that by the time Nigerian government got the approval to fly into Guinea-Bissau, the Ivorian aircraft was already en route.

“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,” he said.

Jonathan therefore expressed his appreciation to leaders of both countries for their concerns for the well being of his delegation.

“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. So we thank the two presidents, President Ouattara and President Tinubu, and indeed thank Nigerians, young and old, for that,” he added.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu received former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa on Saturday on Jonathan’s return to Nigeria from Guinea-Bissau.

“President Jonathan went to the West African nation on an election monitoring mission.

“There were concerns about his safety following a military takeover in Guinea-Bissau,” spokesperson for the Nigerian President said in a statement while announcing the meeting.