Monrovia – Speculations of a possible replacement of Senator Jewel Howard Taylor as the vice standard bearer to Senator George Weah on the ticket of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) ended Wednesday with her sudden show-up at party’s rally in Margibi County after a period of worrying absence.
Report by Webster Clayeh, [email protected]
Senator Taylor’s absence from the launch of the CDC’s campaign on August 19 raised many eye brows and left many wondering why the new comer Gbehzohngar Findley was rather Senator Weah’s right hand man instead of his vice standard bearer.
Her presence in Margibi County known to be the stronghold of Speaker J. Emmanuel Nuquay who is the vice standard bearer to Vice President Joseph Boakai sparked renewed hope and ignited a massive turnout.
The turnout in Margibi County for CDC has given a vivid picture of how fragmented the fifth vote rich county is.
The county recorded 144,604 registered voters for the upcoming elections.
While Speaker Nuquay is well grounded in the county he may have to battle with independent presidential candidate Oscar Cooper in addition to CDC’s growing base to cling unto a victory from Margibi.
Senator Cooper told FrontPageAfrica and Power TV last weekend in a joint interview that neither the Weah-Taylor nor the Boakai-Nuquay tickets is a threat to his candidature. Senator Cooper is well known in Margibi County for his advocacy in the Senate for reduction of lawmakers’ salaries and improving the minimum wage.
Responding to suspicions of him being in the race to reduce the chances the Boakai-Nuquay ticket, he chuckled, saying in typical Liberian English: “I spoiling something? Is it somebody’s pa [father’s] farm?
What am I spoiling, it’s for you? The Constitution gives everyone the right in Liberia to contest – even the ‘pekin’ down there can contest so I spoiling? Da you farm, da you soup?”
But it is now glaring that Senator Cooper isn’t the only one Speaker Nuquay has to contend with.
Senator Weah tour of Margibi County on Wednesday saw an unprecedented turnout for him the county.
Up to 10:30pm Wednesday night, Weah’s supporters in Harbel Community who had been waiting since morning refused to go home until Senator Weah addresses them.
The Delay was due to the stops he made in District 1 & 2, and Dolo’s Town.
Speaking to his supporters, the CDC standard bearer said he was prepared to serve diligently and would make education not only a priority, but free for all from pre-school to secondary school.
“You have called me to serve; you have given me the opportunity to prove to you again what I can do for you.”
“When God gave me the opportunity to become the best athlete in the world I used my resources without thinking about politics to serve you and to serve this country,” he said.
He lamented that the current regime often stereotype the youth of being uneducated but at the same time failing to provide them opportunities for quality education.
“I can guarantee you I will not fail you; I will not fail you because I felt the pain of suffering. I know what it is to look at a young child and say ‘You not become anything’. I’ve been through that,” he said.
