(President Bola Tinubu receives former President Goodluck Jonathan. Credit: Chanels Tv)
On Wednesday, former president Goodluck Jonathan visited President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The meeting on Wednesday was a part of the two presidents’ regular meetings on Nigeria’s continental engagements and West African political issues.
The Special Advisor to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, verified the visit, which took place at around 4 p.m., by sharing pictures of it on his X account with the caption, “President Tinubu meets former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Villa.”
A “Two-Year Milestone” document was visible in a corner of the President’s office while the two men appeared to be having a casual conversation in the photos.
The meeting on Wednesday took place months after Jonathan’s previous visit in November 2025, but no formal statement regarding the discussions’ agenda was released.
On November 29, 2025, just hours after being airlifted out of Bissau due to a coup led by soldiers loyal to Brigadier-General Dinis Incanha, who had arrested incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on November 26, the day before the electoral commission was scheduled to announce the official results of the November 23 presidential election, Jonathan made his most recent visit to the Villa in a similar capacity.
Jonathan was evacuated aboard a jet purportedly provided by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara after leading the West African Elders Forum election observation mission at the time.
The former president urged ECOWAS leaders to guarantee the announcement of the election results and the release of opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa during that November meeting.
“People will perish if they use force to expel the soldiers. After seeing Tinubu, he told reporters, “But let us know who the winner of this election is.” He added, “It is what some people call a palace coup.” It’s not a coup at the palace. We are aware of actual coups. In Nigeria, a palace coup is easily recognized. It wasn’t even a coup in the palace. It’s a ceremonial coup, in my opinion.
He added that it “was a ceremony conducted by the head of state himself.”
The transitional authorities said in January 2026 that legislative and presidential elections would take place on December 6, 2026. ECOWAS had previously rejected an initial transition calendar put up by the coup leaders and had not yet formally endorsed this timeframe.
Transitional President General Horta Inta-a issued an order authorizing the December election date, stating that “all conditions for organizing free, fair, and transparent elections have been met.”
Under the auspices of the West African Elders Forum, Jonathan has been the most active election observer and mediator in West Africa for the majority of the last ten years. He has been sent to Mali, The Gambia, Liberia, and most recently Guinea-Bissau.
He has referred to himself as a “roving ambassador.”
