Monrovia – Former Grand Bassa County Senator Gbehzohngar Findley has officially announced the withdrawal of his membership from the governing Unity Party in Liberia.
Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
Addressing a news conference Friday, the former President Pro Tempore said he informed the party’s leadership of his decision since July 31.
“I wish to inform you, the public of my decision to withdraw my membership from the Unity Party as of July 31, 2017. My decision was communicated to the party through the chairman of Unity Party Grand Bassa branch,” he told journalists today.
Mr. Findley was hesitant in disclosing his next move, but he said he and the Unity Party no longer share a common interest. He, however, failed to state the interest.
Mr. Findley was highly expected to be named running mate to the party’s standard bearer – Vice President Joseph Boakai – when the table suddenly turned. He said, he is not moved by the standard bearer’s decision and that it’s a matter of choice.
“Nuquay and I worked for nine years and there are a lot of things that Nuquay and I share in some ways in common.”
“We are both legislators – I’m a former legislator and he’s a sitting legislator and we worked on the ways and means committee.
He worked on the House side and I worked on the Senate side. So, I believe Nuquay will be a good choice for him, as a friend of mine, I can say this is a process that we’ll probably just be on opposite sides,” he said.
Rejected UP Campaign Chairmanship
According to Findley, the party requested him to serve as the campaign chairman for the elections but he turned it down, insisting that politics is a matter of interest.
The party recently named Augustine Ngafuan, former Minister of Foreign Affairs as its campaign chair.
“It is true that the chairmanship of the campaign committee was offered me and it is also true that I didn’t feel comfortable in that capacity.”
“I worked closely with the Unity Party since 2005 as an associate and collaborated with them fully in 2011.”
“In 12 years we’ve enjoyed each other confidence and I feel at this particular point in time I think we must move on to the next level.”
Responding to question about whether he wouldn’t be disappointing his supporters having taken the Vice President Boakai to them as the best man to lead the country, he maintained, “Politics is interest and my supporters have interests, and if their interests are not secured we need to address that,” he said.
He noted he was a member of the Unity Party and it was his duty to take the standard bearer to the people of Grand Bassa.
He disclosed he would in the coming days disclose his next political affiliation.