Monrovia – When Vice President Joseph Boakai descends into vote-rich Nimba County this week, for yet another endorsement of his candidacy for the Liberian presidency, all eyes will once again be centered on the multi-million-dollar question: Who will he pick as his running mate – or better still, will the pick come from Nimba?
Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
The ruling Unity Party’s candidate is expected to visit Yekepa, Sanniequellie, Dou Tiayee, Karnplay, Bahn, Sacleapea and Gbao-Zehplay and climax in Ganta.
Boakai’s shortlist has been dwindling by the day.
On the eve of his endorsement from citizens in Liberty Part’s stronghold of Grand Bassa, it was Gbezongah Findley, the former President Pro Tempore of the Senate in whom, the idea was flirted that he would be a good pick to dig into Brumskine’s grip of the county.
Mr. Findley’s stock, however, dropped following the endorsement in Bassa and key aides to the Vice President have since ruled him out of consideration.
Samuel Kofi Woods, the former human rights lawyer, has for a while been Boakai’s preferred choice for vice presidential candidate but multiple sources and aides to Boakai are unsure that he is still being considered; these aides suggest that there is some apprehension from the Sirleaf family, fearing that Woods’ rights advocacy could pose some dangers to Sirleaf post-presidency.
It is rumored that Wood wants to see the implementation of more than a hundred audits of the General Auditing Commission and other anti-corruption investigative reports (including presidential commission reports), thereby dampening Sirleaf’s legacy.
Woods was seen as a representation of the progressive wing which helped propel Sirleaf to power in the 2005 presidential elections. He worked as Minister in the Sirleaf administration, remaining a vocal advocate against corruption and other financial malfeasance.
He continued his advocacy even after he left the administration, challenging the president at one point on the alleged financial mismanagement at the National Oil Company of Liberia, the alleged mismanagement in which the president took public responsibility.
Boakai aides were looking at regional balancing of the ticket. Peter Coleman, the Senator from Grand Kru County who was at one point high on the vice president’s radar.
His decision to bolt from Senator George Weah’s Coalition for Democratic Change in April 2017 was seen as paving the way for his selection as Boakai’s running mate.
Dan Morais was always a longshot as was Senators Prince Johnson, Thomas Grupee and Unity Party chairman Wilmot Paye.
In Bong County, Senator Peter Yallah appears to have surpassed Internal Affairs Minister Henrique Tokpah for consideration but inexperience has been a factor in probably ruling him out of the shortlist.
For Boakai, it has always been about making the right choice, according to aides.
But as the July 11, 2017 deadline set aside by the National Elections Commission (NEC) fast approaches, the window of opportunity and time may not be in his favor which is why many, including his aides are resigned to conclude that the pick will most likely be named in Nimba.
But ahead of Saturday’s endorsement ceremony in Ganta, the name gaining the most traction appears be further down south from Nimba in Margibi, where House Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay hails.
Margibi, according to the National Elections Commission’s preliminary numbers, recently surpassed Grand Bassa into fifth place as the county with the most registered number of voters.
Montserrado County has the highest number of registered voters with some 733, 312, followed by Nimba County with 257,780; Bong is third highest with 195, 407 and Lofa County, fourth with 149, 902.
A pick from Margibi could split votes there. Brumskine, according to recent polling is strong in lower Margibi while Jeremiah Sulunteh, running mate to former Coca Cola executive Alexander Cummings performed well there in 2005.
While it is highly likely that picking Nuquay could guarantee the county going to Boakai, political observers say it could come as a pyrrhic victory of sorts in that it could alienate a few folks particularly the Southeasterners who where hoping that their man Peter Coleman would be his pick, the progressives who were pinning their hopes on Woods and most importantly, the folks in Nimba who may be bracing for a shock if one of their own is not named as a running mate to the ruling party’s candidate.
Nuquay is also seen as part and parcel of the financial management mess in Liberia, as he served as the Chairman of Ways and Means Committee, only falling out with his long standing partner in former speaker Alex J. Tyler when Tyler dismissed him from the position of Chairman of Ways and Means.
As Chairman of Ways and Means (from 2007 to 2015), he was considered the key champion of many of the concession contracts in which Moore Stephens, the UK auditing firm, indicated that only 2 of the 68 concessions reviewed were done regularly, meaning 66 were done irregularly.
Boakai has hinted to aides in recent months that geographical balance could be a major factor in his decision. With Nimba already boasting a Chief Justice – Francis Korkpor and one Associate, Kabineh J’aneh and a party chair in Paye, he may be more inclined to drift toward the southeast for a running mate.
This could prove a rather complicated dilemma for Boakai. Nimbaians rarely vote for outsiders.
In fact, a famous parable, according to one observer suggest that the people in Nimba rarely take out their intestines and replace them with leaves, a clear reference to what many have concluded that the vote-rich county may be unlikely to support Boakai if he does not pick someone from Nimba.
Opposition Liberty Party candidate Brumskine has already picked Harrison Karnwea, a son of Nimba as his running mate, raising the stakes and a possible logjam if Boakai picks a Nimbaian.
Also. likely to feel alienated is Findley who, according to some aides could be consoled with the post of campaign manager if he is not the pick, although some of Findley’s aides say he may be unlikely to settle for anything less and could drift toward the direction of Liberty Party or even CDC, if he and Weah can put their past issues to rest. Representative Edwin Melvin Snowe is also said to be under consideration for the Campaign Manager’s post.
The Nimba endorsement follows similar show of support from Bong, Gbarpolu, Bomi and Grand Bassa with Margibi also in the wings. Lofa County from where the Vice President hails petitioned him in 2014 to contest the Presidency at a very elaborate program in Voinjama at which time a number of Counties were also represented including Nimba.
For the immediate future, as Boakai limps toward his July 11, 2017 date with destiny, he may have run out of options with time fast approaching.
What is definite for now is that for the foreseeable future, a first round victory for any of the 26 political parties is highly unlikely and counting out any of the top four or five leading contenders – Boakai, Weah, Brumskine, Cummings or Urey may be a bit premature at this point.