Monrovia – The clock is ticking towards elections and campaign is entering the second week, yet the ruling Unity Party (UP) is being rocked by series of resignations in the midst of preparations for the D-day.
Several key members who worked hard and vigorously campaigned to ensure the victory of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the 2011 elections are leaving the party, leaving it up all to her vice president, Joseph Boakai, now standard bearer, to fight for the presidency alone.
Staunch members like former Gender and Children Protection Minister, Julia Duncan Cassell, head of the National Bureau of Concession, Ciatta Bishops, former Superintendent of Bong County, Selena Mappy-Polson, among others, registered to run for legislative seats but on the tickets of opposition parties.
However, the party’s spokesman, Mohammed Ali says though they registered on different tickets, they remain committed members of the party and have been lending their support to the presidency of Boakai.
Over the weekend a scanned copy of the resignation letter of the Secretary General, Lenn Eugene Nagbe circulated on social media.
The letter dated August 3, 2017 addressed to the party’s chairman reads:
Mr. Chairman,
I hereby tender my resignation as National Secretary General.
With the supervision of the National Executive Committee under your leadership as Chairman, I hold the conviction that the National Campaign Management Team can steer our party to victory while I and others in the administration continue to hold the fort in supporting President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as she climaxes her historic and exemplary leadership with a peaceful, fair and transparent transition.
I thank and appreciate the National Executive Committee and the entire membership for the opportunity to serve and the cooperation accorded during service as National Secretary General.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Eugene Nagbe
No further explanation has been given for his resignation.
FrontPageAfrica has reliably been informed that the Assistant National Secretary General, Neto Leigh, currently the Minister of Labor, and a host of others are preparing their resignation from the party, too.
Last Friday, former Senator Gbehzonhgar Findley announced the withdrawal of his membership from the Unity Party.
He says he and the party no longer share common political interest.
“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,” he told journalists over the weekend.
Gbehzonhgar Findley who was widely rumored to be the vice standard bearer of the party led an elaborate endorsement program for Boakai in Grand Bassa County. But he says he and the party no longer share common interest.
“Politics is interest and my supporters have interests, and if their interests are not secured we need to address that,” he said.
Gbehzonhgar Findley could not admit to his disappointment over the preferment of Rep. Emmanuel Nuquay over him as running mate. He, however, said it is a good choice Vice president Boakai made.
“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 turned down as an appeasement position role when he was asked to serve as national campaign chairman.
“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.”
