Former President Goodluck Jonathan is now on his way back to Nigeria and has arrived in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, en route to Abuja, First Daily has reliably gathered from sources close to the former president.
This development comes barely hours after the House of Representatives urged the Federal Government to take urgent diplomatic and security steps to secure his safe return from Guinea-Bissau, where he was caught up in Wednesday’s military coup.
Jonathan, who was in the West African nation as part of an international election-monitoring mission, had been stranded along with other foreign observers after soldiers seized power and disrupted the presidential election scheduled for November 26, 2025.
During plenary earlier on Thursday, lawmakers expressed deep concern over his safety.
House Leader Julius Ihonvbere briefed the chamber on the situation, noting that Jonathan’s presence in the country coincided with the unexpected coup, necessitating swift intervention.
Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda further stressed that the welfare of all Nigerians abroad, regardless of status, must remain a priority of the Federal Government.
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The House subsequently passed a resolution mandating the government to deploy all diplomatic and security channels to facilitate Jonathan’s return and ensure the protection of other Nigerians trapped in the country.
Thursday evening’s confirmation that the former president is already out of Guinea-Bissau and transiting through Abidjan has eased rising anxiety, even as Nigerian authorities are expected to continue monitoring the situation closely.
Jonathan is expected to arrive Abuja shortly.