Political Crisis Erupts in Guinea-Bissau
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has raised serious concerns about what he describes as a dangerous attack on democracy in Guinea-Bissau. The alarm follows reports of a staged coup plot that led to the detention of main opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira and the withholding of presidential election results.
Election Results Withheld Amid Suspicious Military Intervention
Frank revealed that credible accounts from former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who witnessed the election, point to a coordinated political-military conspiracy. The alleged scheme appears designed to halt political transition after indications emerged that Pereira, candidate of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), may have secured majority votes against incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
The situation escalated when early reports named General Biagino Nhanca as a key figure in the alleged coup attempt. This development only strengthened growing suspicions that the military intervention served as what Frank called a smokescreen designed to sabotage electoral outcomes rather than protect the republic.
International Community Urged to Act
Frank, who serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, issued a strongly-worded statement demanding immediate and unconditional release of Pereira. He also called for full declaration of election results as cast by the people, not edited by those in power.
What we are witnessing in Guinea-Bissau, if confirmed, is not a genuine coup but a calculated civilian-military conspiracy to overturn the people's verdict, declared Frank, who was recently appointed Senior Advisor by the Global Friendship City Association (GFCA) in the USA.
This is completely unacceptable, he emphasized. It represents an attempted robbery of democracy, a direct assault on the ballot, and poses a serious threat to the stability of the entire West African sub-region.
Frank warned that silence from the international community would amount to endorsement of these anti-democratic actions. He stressed that Africa must not allow a precedent where incumbents can manufacture crises to thwart political transition after electoral defeat.
If this goes unchallenged, it becomes a manual for dictators: lose an election, announce a coup, detain the opponent and freeze the results, Frank stated. Africa must reject this script before it becomes our new political culture. Democracy must never be negotiated – it must be defended.
Calls for Sanctions and International Pressure
Frank called on multiple international bodies including ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, the United States and global pro-democracy institutions to apply pressure without hesitation. The goal is to ensure Bissau authorities announce the official results and restore full civilian power without delay.
The people of Guinea-Bissau have spoken through the ballot, Frank asserted. The world must insist their voice be honoured. Let the results be released. Let democracy stand. Let Domingos Simões Pereira walk free.
Frank specifically called on the United States, United Kingdom, European Union and other development partners to immediately commence asset seizures and grant freezes extended to the Guinea-Bissau administration. He also demanded strict disciplinary actions against President Embaló and his accomplices.
Enough is enough! African leaders must know that there are consequences for illegality, especially disenfranchisement of citizens and frustrating credible electoral process, he declared.
Frank reaffirmed his solidarity with the people of Guinea-Bissau and all Africans committed to democratic governance, insisting that the ballot – not the barrel of a gun – must determine who leads the nation.
