Boakai holds secret meeting in Gbarnga

Despite receiving cold shoulders from members of his own ruling party after declaring his intention to succeed President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2017, Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, appears to be determined in making his dreams come true.

Reports from Gbarnga, Bong County say Ambassador Boakai over the weekend held closed doors meeting with the newly formed People’ Unification Party or PUP over a possible collaboration that could give him some hope towards the Executive Mansion.

The party, formed last year, is yet without a political leader or standard bearer, and many politicians here for obvious reasons, have set their eyes on it. Two months ago, two times presidential candidate, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine’s Liberty Party had gone to Margibi County to grace PUP’s 1st anniversary with reports that Brumskine himself has initiated talks with the party for possible merger.

On Saturday, 6 September Vice President Boakai held closed door meeting with PUP officials in Gbarnga, Bong County during a ceremony to officially turn the party over to the people of Bong. The discussions are said to have centered around collaboration in order to win the presidency, an official of the PUP confided in this paper.

The meeting was held at the Bong County Superintendent Selena Polson Mappy’s compound in Gbarnga, not too far from the Administrative Building where the PUP’s home-coming ceremony was held. Details of the talks were not revealed, but inside sources hinted that from the interaction with the Vice President, it indicated that neither President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf nor the governing Unity Party is supportive of Boakai’s ambition for the Presidency so the UP vice standard bearer has begun a mission to find a comfortable ground that would lead him to the Executive Mansion in 2017.

The press could not however speak to Vice President Boakai on the outcome of the meeting as he hurriedly left Gbarnga on grounds that he had another activity in Monrovia to attend.

By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr. in Margibi – Editing by Jonathan Browne