President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday joined other West African leaders in an emergency virtual summit convened by ECOWAS to address the escalating political crisis in Guinea-Bissau.

The extraordinary meeting was called as regional leaders moved swiftly to respond to the military takeover that followed the country’s disputed elections.

Guinea-Bissau’s armed forces had on Wednesday seized power, detaining President Umaro Embaló and announcing Gen. Horta Nta Na Man as head of a one-year transitional administration.

With a population of 2.2 million, the country has endured repeated coups and attempted coups for more than five decades since its independence from Portugal.

Nigeria, in a statement issued by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned the development, describing the military action as an “unconstitutional change of government” and a threat to regional stability and democratic governance.

Tinubu, who led ECOWAS as Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government from July 2023 to June 2025 before handing over to Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, joined the deliberations as the bloc seeks to halt a widening resurgence of coups across the sub-region.

Thursday’s meeting underscored ECOWAS’ determination to safeguard constitutional order and prevent further destabilisation in West Africa.