Monrovia – Utterances from Senator Prince Y. Johnson in recent weeks had drawn many to the conclusion that Vice President Joseph Boakai, the standard bearer of the ruling Unity Party is a sure bet to land the key endorsement of the lawmaker from the vote-rich Nimba County.
Sources: Unity Party, opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Reportedly Competing to lure vote-Rich Nimba County King-maker
But events in the last 48 hours suggest the dynamics may be changing.
Multiple sources speaking to FrontPageAfrica on condition of anonymity this week say, serious push by Senator George Weah and the Coalition for Democratic Change appear to be giving the Senator a second thought amid reports that plans are in the works to fly the Nimba County senior senator to Nigeria where efforts are reportedly being made to have his pastor in Nigeria, T.B. Joshua intervene.
Johnson, who finished fourth in the first round of this year’s elections with a total vote count of 127,666 for 8.2 percent accumulated most of his votes in vote-rich Nimba, has been known to flip flop on a number of issues.
The Senator had previously described Senator Weah as a little brother, a son, and son of the Nimba people but appeared to have shifted in recent weeks when he slammed Senator Weah as someone who is unable to control his followers, and as such, any decision to elect him as President of Liberia will send the country back to war.
“I am appealing to Ambassador George Weah because you have not become President yet, but you turned loose your men on people to stab them. When you become President, this country will go back to war,” he warned.
Senator Johnson, standard bearer of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction went on to say that it is not anyone’s birthright to be President; therefore Senator Weah should not impose his will.
The Senator has been equally critical of Boakai in recent time, describing the Vice President as one who has nothing new to offer Liberia and should go and relax.
Despite the nearly impossible odds stacked against his bid for the Liberian presidency, Johnson continues to be quoted by mainstream politicians due to the vote count of Nimba.
This year alone, some 214,000 inhabitants cast their votes in the county.
With the run-off elections already in play, both Weah and Boakai are said to be making aggressive move to land the Senator’s endorsement, with some sources suggesting that Johnson’s pastor, T. B. Joshua, being courted by both sides.
Pastor Joshua, a Nigerian Pastor, televangelist and Philanthropist, is the leader and founder of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a Christian organization that runs the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos.