- Tinubu joins ECOWAS virtual summit on Guinea Bissau military crisis.
- Coup detains president, shuts borders and installs one year transition.
- ECOWAS seeks stronger response as instability spreads across West Africa.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday took part in an extraordinary virtual summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government to address the growing political crisis in Guinea Bissau following a military coup that unfolded on Wednesday.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the emergency meeting, held via Zoom, brought together West African leaders who joined remotely to discuss the situation and consider diplomatic options. A photograph released by the State House Media Department showed President Tinubu participating in the summit from Abuja.
Guinea Bissau descended into chaos on Wednesday after military officers detained President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, shut the country’s borders, blocked key routes, and halted the electoral process. Reports indicated that heavy gunfire was heard around the presidential palace as soldiers solidified their grip on power.
The military later announced that General Horta Nta Na Man would lead a transitional government for one year. The declaration confirmed an interim arrangement put in place by the same forces that assumed control earlier in the day.
President Tinubu previously served two consecutive terms as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government before handing over the position to Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio in June 2025.
Thursday’s summit highlighted ECOWAS’ renewed effort to contain rising political instability across West Africa, where a series of coups in recent years has threatened democratic governance in the region.
