Monrovia – Senator Prince Y. Johnson(MDR, Nimba County), who once prophesied that Liberia would return to war if George Weah became President, has issued yet another prophecy, this time foreseeing massive rigging in the 2023 presidential elections which could later lead to violence.
Report by Henry Karmo, [email protected]
Senator Johnson, a former warlord and leader of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia, a breakaway from Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front(NPFL), made the startling prophecy in Nimba County at the weekend during a tour of his US$5.5M university project.
Said Senator Johnson: “The 2023 election, it will be rigged. Prophetically speaking, I’m a man of God, it’s not something I’m saying bad about this government, I’m saying it is going to be rigged – by this government, to remain in power and that will bring the government and the civilian into confrontation. And if I run for president and it is rigged, I will lose both the Senate and the presidency.”
The end result, Senator Johnson said, would lead to chaos. “I see confusion between civilian and people, I see more demonstration, I see more chaos. I’m a man of God. If it doesn’t happen, what I tell you, don’t believe me.”
The Nimba County lawmaker lamented why the Weah administration is not prioritizing payment of salaries.
“If I was president, I would prioritize salaries. Salaries put food on the table, it makes the civil servants to buy things and the money go around. But look at the Senators, four months now we haven’t gotten paid, we gone back to Taylor days. I’m supposed to be disappointed when our people are crying. Cup of rice in Nimba County expensive, bag of rice high.”
If conditions do not improve between now and the 2023 elections, Senator Johnson warned, President Weah may not re-elected. “You want us to vote for you, we are prepared; but if we are crying in the first term, then we will give you second term? If the cry continues to 2023, it will make us change our minds because I won’t be stupid to come to the Nimba people to raise your hand, they will throw me out.”
The senator’s caution comes amid concerns that the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change government is already preparing successors to current team of commissioners at the National Elections Commission whose tenure expires next year.
It also comes nearly two years after Senator Johnson questioned then candidate Weah’s inability 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,” the Senator warned.
The controversial Nimba strongman emphasized that Senator Weah has no control over his men, “just as Charles Taylor had no control. I had control over my men in combat.”
Senator Johnson who commands a massive following in vote-rich county, has played King-maker in past presidential elections. In 2011, he abandoned the opposition block to throw his weight behind former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and in 2017 threw his weight behind Weah, although cautioning Liberians about his presidency in the same election circle.
Senator Johnson who campaigned with President Weah en route to the Presidency has been a strong advocate of indigenous rule.
In recent weeks, he informed Nimbaians who wanted government jobs to join his party or risk losing any Job in the CDC government, illustrating his proximity to the Weah presidency.
Now he warns that the Weah-led government is not paying much attention to providing jobs to most Liberians.
While this is not the first time that Senator Johnson has flip-flopped on issues, it does come amid murmurs over the establishment of a war and economic crimes court for Liberia.
Johnson, responsible for the capture and killing of late President Samuel Doe in September 1990 and some high-profile Liberians during the civil war, recently took exception to what he sees as threats from House Speaker Bhofal Chambers and Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee about bringing the war crimes court to Liberia.
Senator Johnson, in a disappointing mood, made the disclosure in a plenary discussion surrounding the recent violent incident in Montserrado County District #15 that resulted into the damaging of Ms. Telia Urey’s vehicle.
Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence had written to plenary a communication, which was backed by Senators Abraham Darius Dillon and Conmany Wesseh. The only female senator requested plenary to endorse a request to invite the Mayor of Monrovia, Justice Minister Frank Musah Dean, Police inspector General Patrick Sudue and other ranking officials of the Liberia National Police (LNP) to answer to concerns about growing violence and the police intervention.
As evidence to back his claims, Senator Johnson displayed text messages sent to him Speaker Chambers. In an apparent boastful response, the Nimba County Senator promised not to fall to what he called “scare tactics” applied by Speaker Chambers and Mayor Koijee.
“The issue that is on the floor of the Senate which is supposed to be the ‘house of elders’ is a grave one. These are some of the things we who collaborated with the ruling government continue to say and when we label use ‘enemies of the state.’
It is still unclear whether Senator Johnson’s rigged 2023 elections claim is a ploy to resist the push for war and economic crimes court, which could see him being held responsible for the deaths of scores of Liberians, but the Nimba County lawmaker has enjoyed a somewhat cordial relationship with President Weah, prior to the war and economic crimes court noise.
In fact, in January of 2019, Senator Johnson of Nimba County reportedly proposed a constitutional amendment to give President Weah a life-time Presidency. He’s alleged to have made the suggestion during a called meeting between senators and President Weah recently.
According to well-placed Legislative sources, Sen. Johnson’s suggestion was, however, brushed aside by some of his colleagues because that was not the intent of the meeting. However, some sources said some influential senators sat in the meeting but fell short of rebuking Sen. Johnson for his callous proposal.
They (sources) disclosed that the gathering was a mediation meeting between the President and Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor.
In November 2018, the VP’s office issued a statement in which she reassured the nation of her commitment and loyalty to the advancement and implementation of the “Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) as enunciated by President Weah.
The statement further indicated that VP Jewel Howard-Taylor is “fully cognizant of her role as Vice President in which she serves as a critical support arm to the President.”
Before this time, there had been reports of serious rifts between the two most powerful persons in the country and so the VP’s Office sought to quiet down the rumors.