Fight over UP candidacy in district#16

Two candidates vying for the representative seat of electoral district #16 in Montserrado County are at each other’s throat over a concensus candidancy of the ruling Unity Party (UP) in the district.

It all started when incumbent Representative Edward Ford, formerly of the Congress for Democratci Change (CDC) informed electorate in the district that he represents the UP as its concensus candidate for the October elections after loosing the primary of the opposition Liberian People Democratic Party (LPDP).

Ford had earlier lost the primary o f the CDC and subsequently crossed over to the People’s Unification Party. He told reporters on Tuesday, 1 August that as an incumbent lawmaker for the district, he still enjoys the confidence and support of the leadership of the governing Unity Party. But, contrary to his assertion, the leadership of the “Friends of Robert B. Teah” argue that Mr. Teah is is the concensus candidate for the UP evidenced by his recent endorsement on white ballot during the UP’s primary.

The chief spokesperson and chariman for Mr. Teah’s campaign team, Rev. Andrews S. Fayiah, refutes Representative Ford’s assertion made on 29 July at a mass meeting in Island Clinic community, Busrod Island.

According to Rev. Fayia, Rep. Ford has been allegedly misinforming residents of district#16 that he (Ford) is the consensus candidate for the UP when in fact, he was a representative aspirant of the Liberian People Democratic Party (LPDP) where he was mercilessly beaten in the party’s primary.

He furthet explains that it was sadden that Rep. Ford, who allegdly betrayed the interest of the Unity Party by failing to seek the interest of UP partisans and residents of his district, was now bent on spreading lies across the district, claiming to be a conensus candidate of the ruling party.

He warns supporters of the UP not to give credience to Rep. Ford’s alleged misleading information which he says, is only intended to confuse electorate, knowing very well that Mr. Teah was elected on white ballot at the Unity Party recently held primary in Monrovia, thus making him the legitimate consensus candidate for the UP.

Rev. Fayiah also warns supporters of Mr. Robert B. Teah not to in any form or manner engage in act that may constitute electoral violence, adding that the best thing to do is to register whatsoever disatisfication they may have with opposition candidates thru their votes at the ballot box on 10 October.

He cautions participants of the meeting to be mindful of the works of detractors, who are again going to communities with money and rice to entice citizens into reelecting them when they have meserably failed to protect the interest of electorate, who previously entrusted them with the leadership of the district.

By Emmanuel Mondaye-Editing by Jonathan Browne