Ellen lobbies for Boakai?

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is said to have begun lobbying with ruling Unity Party or UP lawmakers to support the presidential ambition of Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai months after she declined comment on Boakai’s declared intention.

President Sirleaf told group of journalists months ago that she would not make any comment about the Boakai presidency until she held a closed door discussion with him over the matter, a move which publicly suggested that she was not happy with his ambition.

But information received by this paper indicates that President Sirleaf last Sunday met with UP Legislators at her Congo Town residence seeking their support for Vice President Boakai ahead of the party’s convention for the impending 2017 Presidential Elections.

Legislative sources confided in this paper that President Sirleaf at the meeting also pleaded with renegade UP lawmakers to return to the party which is gradually falling apart due to disenchantment among members.

Vice President Boakai, accepted a petition from his kinsmen early this year requesting him to contest the 2017 election during a visit which was solely a post Ebola assessment. But some of his kinsmen dissociated themselves from the petition, suggesting that it was staged managed.

Boakai’s declaration to contest the 2017 Presidential election has, however, continued to receive mixed-reaction not only from the general public but even within the crumbling ruling party itself.  Senators who were said to be at the meeting included J. Milton Teahjay of Sinoe, Morris Saytumah and Varney Sherman of Bomi, George Tingbeh of Lofa, Oscar Cooper of Margibi, Conmany Wesseh of River Gee, G. Alphonso Gaye of Grand Gedeh and Edward Dacoseh of Grand Cape Mount.

From the House of Representatives; Speaker J. Alex Tyler, Representatives Sewah-Woleah Dunah of Nimba, Henry B. Fahnbulleh, Bill Twehway and Josephine Francis of Montserrado County among others. Some lawmakers told this paper in confidence that the meeting was all about the president making passionate appeal for the election of Mr. Boakai and that the burden of meeting that goal squarely rest on their shoulders as lawmakers who represent the party at the Liberian Legislature.

The source said President Sirleaf indicated to lawmakers that the record of parties leaving from national power going down politically should not be allowed with the Unity Party. Meanwhile, when the Presidential Press Secretary, Jeromelick Piah said. “This is a news to me. I’m not in the know about this, besides, if that happens it is purely about Unity Party which I cannot comment about.” By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor-Edited by Othello B. Garblah