By Lincoln G. Peters
President George M. Weah has reacted to speculations within his Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) of plans by party officials to expel him from the CDC following his defeat at the polls on November 14, saying Liberians will reject any candidate the party put forward in 2029.
Speaking Sunday at his Church, Mr. Weah said there was no need for the CDC hierarchy to go through the troubles of expelling him, rather they can simply say they don’t want him on the party’s ticket as standard bearer in 2029 and he will gladly serve as an advisor. But warned that Liberians will reject any candidate the CDC put forward other than him.
Weah: “What I’m hearing about expelling me from the party that I will not be standard bearer. Listen, you don’t need to expel me from the party. All you can do is just tell me, my man, we don’t want you to be our party standard bearer again, I will understand and serve as an advisor. But you can bring whosoever you want to bring and see if the Liberian people will vote for that person.”
President Weah’s reaction follows criticisms from a CDC steward, Dr. Lester D. Tenny who has been venting his anger at Weah after the November 14, Presidential runoff.
President Weah is the founder and financier of the CDC but in a recent conversation with Spoon FM, Dr. Tenny vowed that never again will Mr. Weah be allowed to run or contest on the CDC ticket as its standard bearer in 2029 and beyond.
Dr. Tenny: “I have read in several newspapers and even listened to radios where I heard President Weah blaming the Executive Committee of the Party for the defeat and describing the Executive Committee as insincere. Quote me, President Weah will never be the standard bearer of the CDC again.”
To support Dr. Tenny’s resolve, CDC Secretary General Jefferson Tamba Koijee, also speaking on the way forward for the CDC disclosed ongoing conversation and consultation with the Alternative National Congress of Mr. Alexander B. Cummings to form a stronger opposition alliance.
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Disclosing this on December 4, 2023, when he appeared on Voice of Liberia live morning talk show, Mr. Koijee said their party is in conversation with Mr. Cummings to build a stronger opposition alliance to keep the feet of President-elect, (Joseph) Boakai to the fire.
“We are having conversations with the ANC and the CPP by extension, to bring the parties together to build a stronger opposition alliance. With this alliance, we will keep the feet of the government-elect to the fire. And so, we are having conversations with Mr. Cummings and other political parties to build a stronger opposition alliance for 2029,” Koijee confirmed.
But President Weah maintained that if the CDC brings somebody as its political leader and standard bearer in 2029, he is willing to step back and be an advisor.
According to him, in 2014 the party decided not to carry him as its standard bearer and they brought Winston Tubman, yet he remained with the party and served as advisor.
” In 2014, you told me that you were bringing Mr. Tubman, I never had problem. I gave him chance and I served as advisor. Today, if you bring anybody, I will not have problem, I will be an advisor. But, with all that you will still come to me for support. You had standard bearer in 2014, but I was the one supporting the party” President Weah concluded. -Editing by Othello B. Garblah
