Monrovia – Ahead of President George Weah’s first visit to Lofa County, the former Vice President of Liberia, and a favorite son of the County, Joseph Nyuma Boakai has called on Lofaians to give him a rousing welcome.
There have been speculations ahead of President Weah’s much anticipated visit to Lofa that residents of the county have resolved not to welcome him in protest of the government’s abandonment of the Lofa road construction project.
Citizens of the county are also said to be angry over President Weah and his ruling Coalition of Democratic Change, accusing them of blocking the certification of Senator-elect Brownie Samukai by supporting the litigation against him.
But in a statement issued on Wednesday, the eve of the President’s visit, Ex-VP Boakai said “Lofaians are peace loving people and that speculations that the President of Liberia will not be welcomed to the County is unfounded and untrue.”
The release quotes the Political leader of the Unity Party as calling on citizens in the County to do everything to make the President and his entourage comfortable during their stay in the County.
President Weah’s trip to Lofa marks the climax of his first nationwide tour which began in February 2021. Since then, the President has travelled in every part of the country, except Lofa, the only county he was outperformed by the former Vice President during the Presidential runoff election in 2017.
Amid President Weah’s massive victory in the overall polls, the people of Lofa did not abandon their kinsmen who had served as Vice President for 12 years under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
With that result still fresh on their minds, there are reports that the President and his Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) are resolved to ‘move mountains’ to wrestle away voters from Ambassador Boakai and the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) in their stronghold in the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections.