Ganta, Nimba County – The vice standard bearer of the All Liberian People’s Party (ALP), Alexander Duopu, has broken ranks with the ALP to support the candidacy of George Weah of the Coalition of Democratic Change (CDC).
Report by Selma Lomax, [email protected]
Alex Duopu declared his support for Senator Weah three days after the ALP joined the Unity Party and the Liberty Party to challenge the results of the October 10 elections.
Alex Duopu said he is shocked that the ALP standard bearer Benoni Urey would support the Unity Party after he described VP Boakai, standard bearer of Unity Party, as an “old folk who can barely be awakened.’’
“I am not going to follow the decision of my standard bearer because he preached against the Unity Party during the campaign,” he said.
“This was the same Unity Party he urged Liberians to vote against.”
The CDC hopes that Duopo’s support could help increase their votes in Nimba County during the run-off election planned for Nov. 7.
In the first round, the ALP received 2,514 or 1.3 per cent of the votes cast in Nimba County .
The ALP, he said, obtained those votes because of him, not Urey.
He said he will help garner votes for the CDC in the Gio-speaking areas.
He said he was supporting the CDC because the “majority” has spoken and such decision should be respected by all.
In the first round of election, the Unity Party received 39,964 or 19.9 per cent of the votes cast, while the CDC received 16,002 or 8.0 percent of the votes.
For the sake of Nimba County, not Urey
Alex Duopu also said his decision to support Senator Weah is to be in solidarity with Senator Johnson.
“Every one of us in Liberia knows that Senator Prince Johnson is our father,” he said.
“He asked me to help him deliver Nimba County to the CDC and I consented by my endorsement of CDC.”
Alex Duopu, a Gio man, believes with him and Senator Johnson’s endorsement, the CDC would win most of the Gio speaking areas like Sanniquellie and Karnplay, areas Senator Johnson won in the first round of election.
Johnson obtained the highest votes in Nimba County – 107, 430 or 53.5 percent of the votes cast.
Duopu called on citizens of Nimba to join ranks with the CDC for the transformation of Liberia.
Asked why he supporting the CDC when Senator Johnson himself had criticized Senator Weah of being incompetent and would return the country to war.
“Wise man changes,’’ he said. “These are two evils and the best evil is Senator Weah.”