What appears to be a dissatisfaction in the camp of Ambassador Joseph Boakai over his decision to select Senator Jeremiah Koung as his running mate was observed after his key political allies boycotted the much anticipated ceremony.
On Friday, April 28, 2023, the Unity Party standard bearer announced Nimba County Senator and Political Leader of the Movement for Reconstruction and Democracy, Jeremiah Koung as his running mate in theOctober 10, 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections.
But as being speculated, Grand Bassa County Senator and embattled Political Leader of Liberty Party, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, All Liberian Party political leader Benino W. Urey and a critic of the George M. Weah-led Government and head of Council of Patriots that hosted the June 7 protest, Henry P. Costa did not show up.
Other allies that failed to show up for the program were Montserrado County Senator, Abraham Darius Dillon, the head of the JNB’s Tic-team, Tellia Urey and Daniel O Sando of the Liberty Party among others.
However, those in attendance were Montserrado County District 10 Representative, Yekeh Kolubah, Nimba County Senator, Prince Johnson, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFFL) CIC, Emmanuel Gonqoi, UP former Chairman, Wilmot Paye, the Vision for Liberia Transformation Party (VOLTP) political leader, Jeremiah Wapoe and a representative from the Rainbow Alliance among others.
Although this AEN is yet to establish the reason behind Mr. Boakai allies boycotting of his program, some Liberians including political pundits have also attributed these key supporters of Mr. Boakai absence from the program to being ‘dissatisfied and betrayed.’
While others attributed Sen. Karnga-Lawrence absence from the program to the holding of consultations with her supporters in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County as to which direction to go and that Mr. Urey absence was based on business engagement with partners.
Sen. Lawrence, Mr. Urey have been a key supporters of Boakai and stood firmly with him during the upheaval in the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) which the Unity Party later withdrew from.
But prior to the Friday’s event, the embattled LP Political Leader in a statement issued late Thursday evening said that irrespective of the strong partnership she along with the All Liberian Party (ALP) headed by Benoni Urey formed with the Boakai and the Unity Party, Boakai informed them on Tuesday that he has made up his mind to choose his running mate for the pending elections outside of the Liberty Party and the All Liberian Party.
She stated: “Upon conclusion of our brief meeting with Ambassador Boakai, we convened a meeting of the executive leadership of the Liberty Party to inform the leadership of our conversation with Ambassador Boakai.
“Consistent with our Party’s tradition, the executive leadership has unanimously resolved at its sitting to consult our various constituents across the country and in the diaspora and thereafter provide a clear direction for our partisans, many of whom had been anxiously waiting for the pronouncement of Ambassador Boakai. The consultations have begun, and in subsequent time, the public and our partisans and supporters will be duly informed of our direction for the 2023 elections.”
However, the All Liberian Party (ALP) of businessman Benoni Urey is yet to made a public statement concerning the Unity Party standard bearer decision to announced Sen. Jeremiah Koung of the MDR as his running mate for the upcoming October polls.
Meanwhile, there have been mixed reactions from Liberians following the pronouncement os Sen. Koung as running mate to Boakai with some terming it as the best and winnable ticket, while others condemned the decision by terming VP Boakai as a betrayal.