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Guinea-Bissau’s electoral commission has said it cannot finalise results of the presidential election, as unknown gunmen broke into its office and stole vote tally sheets.
According to the commission on Tuesday (today), the theft happened on the same day the military seized power.
It said the break-in happened on November 26. This was three days after presidential and legislative elections.
Both the incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate, Fernando Dias da Costa, claimed victory.
The military then seized power and installed former army chief of staff Gen. Horta Inta-a as the head of the military government, which will oversee a one-year transition period.
On Saturday, Inta-a appointed a new 28-member government, most of whom are allies of the ousted president.
Embalo has since fled to the Republic of Congo’s capital Brazzaville.
Meanwhile, Nigeria said its President Bola Tinubu has granted protection for da Costa in response to an ”imminent threat to his life”.
Jonathan’s verdict
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan has said the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau was not a coup, insisting that the election results be announced.
Recall that Jonathan was in Guinea-Bissau as the head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission when the said coup happened.
He said: “Specifically, what happened in Guinea-Bissau was not a coup. Maybe, for want of a better word, I would say it was a ceremonial coup.
“It is the president, President Umaro Embaló, that announced the coup.
“Before later, a military man came up to address the world that they were in charge of everywhere. Embaló had already announced the coup, which is strange.
“Not only announcing the coup, but Embaló, while the coup took place, was using his phone and addressing media organisations across the world that he had been arrested.”
