By Lincoln G. Peters
The Gongloe Youth Movement of the opposition Liberian People’s Party (LPP) says its presidential hopeful Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe was never engaged at any time to serve as Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s running mate.
The LPP youth group issued the clarity Thursday, 4 May 2023, nearly a week after Boakai announced Gongloe’s kinsman, Nimba County Senator Jeremiah Koung as his running mate.
It is not clear who has accused Cllr. Gongloe of refusing Boakai’s offer to serve as his running mate.
Notwithstanding, the head of the LPP Gongloe Youth Movement Mr. Ephraim T. Nyumah explained that Amb. Boakai did not have any conversation with Gongloe surrounding the running mate slot.
“I want to say this clearly, there is no record that Amb. Boakai ever engaged our standard bearer Cllr. Gongloe to serve as his … running mate in the pending October elections,” said Nyumah.
He said claims that Gongloe rejected the offer is a complete diabolical lie and deception.
“This information that our standard bearer refused to serve as Amb. Boakai’s running mate is false, deceptive, misleading, and diabolical.”
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Nyumah argued that even if Cllr. Gongloe had done so, it would have been based on their shared values and political ideologies.
According to him, the LPP and Cllr. Gongloe will not support any party that doesn’t believe in them.
“Cllr. Gongloe has consistently said that his ambition for the Liberian presidency is not above Liberia. Therefore, he is willing to serve at the will of the people,” said Nyumah.
Commenting on the selection of Senator Koung as Boakai’s running mate, Mr. Nyumah said the selection is a contradiction to the opposition’s collective effort to ensure that President George Manneh Weah and Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) are replaced with a credible government.
“We, being the opposition political party, are equally concerned as to how the other political party conduct [itself],” he noted.
