SALAYEA DISTRICT, Lofa County – For most of the past four years, President George Weah’s Coalition for Democratic (CDC) has boasted of making significant amendments to its dismal performance in Lofa County in the 2017 presidential elections, but that will be tested when voters go to the polls to elect a new senator on May 10.
In an attempt to test its popularity and guide its course ahead of the 2023 presidential elections, the CDC this week endorsed Cllr. Joseph Jallah, an Independent candidate who has lost three successive elections, in a tight contest — including Garlakpai Kortimai of the former ruling Unity Party whose candidacy is being contested in court, former Lofa County senator Sumo Kupee, District Four representative Mariamu Fofana, businessman Momo Cyrus, and two other aspirants.
As the Director-General of the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority and a prominent son of Lofa County, Moses Kollie, said Wednesday at an endorsement program for Cllr. Jallah, “this is the time for Lofians (residents of Lofa County) to demonstrate the love for President Weah for the numerous developments in the county he has undertaken since taking the mantle of leadership of the country.”
“The ongoing reconstruction of the Lofa road, erection of street lights in major cities and towns in the county, and a lot more are being done under the leadership of President Weah,” Kollie named achievements.
Kollie rebuffed insinuations that the government is targeting Lofians and “hates” the county after former Defense Minister Brownie Samukai, who was prevented from taking his seat as senator after he failed to pay over US$ 1 million allegedly stolen from the Armed Forces of Liberia pension account.
“I want to thank my friend Brownie Samukai for acknowledging the efforts of President Weah for granting him Executive Clemency which suspended his two-year prison for his failure to restitute the money,” he said.
“No one person is more of a Lofa citizen than the other. There are six tribes in Lofa and everyone is a member of those six tribes. No tribe is more important than the other.”
Kollie, a two-term lawmaker who relinquished his ambition to seek a third term in 2017, promised to tour the nooks and crannies of the county to ensure Jallah is elected senator of Lofa County.
“This is something I have been doing for the past two months. The election of Cllr. Jallah means well to everyone in Lofa County and I will ensure that becomes a reality so that we as citizens can continue to enjoy the benefits of this regime.”
Also speaking was Monsterrado County representative Thomas Fallah, whose native district is Foya in Lofa County. Fallah described Cllr. Jallah is a man whose personality is above his personal ego. Fallah admonished residents of the county to rally for Cllr. Jallah to send a message to the opposition that the county doesn’t belong to certain people.
He described the pending by-election as a litmus test for the party’s popularity in the county ahead of the 2023 presidential elections. “I’m calling on all CdCians to come out on May 10 to support Cllr. Jallah, a man who’s worthy of trust. If you elect Cllr. Jallah on May 10 as your next senator Lofa County will experience more developments under President Weah,” he said.
Of all the three elections Cllr. Jallah has contested, this is the first time he has gotten overwhelming support from prominent sons and daughters of Lofa County.
At Wednesday’s unveiling by the CDC, District Two representative Julie Weah, paramount chiefs, elders, as well as officials of government pledged their support for his candidacy.