Monrovia – In the 2011 Presidential election, Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson was a kingmaker, when he supported President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s bid to become president on Unity Party (UP) ticket.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
In 2017 as the Unity party prepares to face the Coalition for Democratic Change under the leadership of George Weah and Jewel Howard Taylor many are wondering if the Nimba County senator will once again support the Unity Party or move over to the CDC.
In 2005 he supported the Congress of Democratic Change now Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate George Weah, but his popularity in the county could not help the CDC secure the presidency.
On Sunday of this week Senator Johnson was seen with CDC standard bearer Weah at the Synagogue Church of All Nations service of Nigerian prelate T.B. Joshua in Lagos, Nigeria.
Supports for Senator Johnson dropped by 3.4 percent in 2017 from 11.6 percent in 2011 to 8.2 percent in the October 10 election.
In 2011 Nimba County had 174,775 registered voters, of that number Senator Johnson got 39,786 votes.
After losing hold of his first brainchild, the National Union for Democracy Party (NUDP), Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson (PYJ) formed a new political party, the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR).
It was formed in 2017, the Nimba Senator Johnson, a former rebel leader of the defunct Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), is among the few popular politicians with huge followings.
He contested on the 2011 NUDP ticket as presidential candidate. Nimbaians see him as a liberator, voting him as senator twice, in 2005 and again in 2014.
While serving as a sitting Senator, Johnson in 2011 founded the NUDP and contested the presidency, finishing an impressive third behind the Unity Party and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
The Nimba County strongman settled for the UP of sitting President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, describing the President as “the lesser of two evils.”
After Senator Johnson gave his support to Sirleaf, serious confusion broke out in the NUDP, with members of the party’s Executive Committee accusing him of taking money from the UP in exchange for their support.
He, however, denied the allegation. He was later expelled from the party.
The NUDP was later delisted by the National Elections Commission for failing to meet certain requirements. Following the collapse of the party, Senator Johnson contested the 2014 special senatorial election, which he won as an independent candidate.
The lure of Nimba County’s vote-rich status continues to make Johnson a hot political figure with the emergence of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR).
In 2017, of the 214,200 registered voters in Nimba, Senator Johnson received 127,666.
During the 2011 presidential and legislative elections, his NUDP secured 9 legislative seats. This number, however, dropped in the October 10 elections to 6 representatives.
Senator Johnson’s significance in deciding who becomes President had dwindled, political pundits say.
In Nimba County 2017 Vice President Boakai attained 19.9% of votes cast while Senator Weah received 8.0 of the votes from the 214,200 registered voters.
Joseph Somwarbi of CDC, incoming lawmaker District no. 3 Nimba County said he views Johnson as a godfather.
“I won on the CDC and it will be a pleasing thing for me if he comes my way. It will be overwhelming if he decides CDC but when he chooses UP then I have no choice over him but it’s an appeal that he comes our way,” Somwarbi said.
Incoming District #9 Representative (Nimba County) Johnson Gwaikolo of the Victory for Change (VCP) told FrontPageAfrica: “Not because he selects a party everyone will support that party; Sen. Johnson is still relevant, he has been enjoying the support and we must be quick to know that the number of people supporting him is gradually reducing probably for obvious reasons.”
Gwaikolo continued: “He has the power to influence the election in the county based on his support from Nimba County and the Gio people specifically.”
“The outcome of the election shows that he has a space and whoever he announces, some of his supporters will follow him.”
He said it is a general tendency that over time the support base will reduce referencing Sen. Johnson votes in 2011 to the votes in 2017.
r. MGwaikolo said he will encourage his voters to vote for the Unity Party since his party VCP is collaborating with UP.
Samuel Kogar of People Unification Party (PUP), incoming representative of District 5, Nimba County also told FrontPageAfrica – “When it comes to Senator Johnson contesting as President, the Nimbians are ready to vote him but when he is not in the picture the Nimba people decide for themselves. I am a full fledged member of the PUP and I am in support of the Unity Party.”
Jeremiah Koung of Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction said – “I believe and that if there is any decision in the pipeline he will inform us but so far we have no knowledge that he’s about to endorse a party.”
Sen. Johnson and CDC standard bearer is still in Nigeria and is expected to arrive today.