Following Friday’s (April 28, 2023) picking of Nimba County Senator Jeremiah Kpan Koung as running mate by Unity Party Standard Bearer, Joseph Nyumah Boakai, speculations abound here that CPP Standard Bearer Mr. Alexander B. Cummings is likely to name Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karngar Lawrence, as running mate.
Senator Lawrence had been widely named months back, as preferred running mate for Ambassador Boakai, but this did not happen on Friday. Instead, the UP Standard Bearer chose his running mate from Nimba, much to public surprise, leaving Sen. Lawrence in the cold.
A source close to the ANC told the NEW DAWN that Mr. Alexander Cummings, who is yet to name his running mate, ahead of the crucial October elections, is poised to picking Senator Nyonblee Lawrence as his vice presidential candidate.
The source explained Mr. Cummings is in closed doors meeting with the Grand Bassa Senator, on the CPP’s desire to choose her as vice running mate.
Attempts to get Senator Lawrence’s comment did not materialize, but a Liberty Party source said the Senator would consider the offer from Mr. Cummings if asked to join a Cummings-Lawrence ticket against President Weah.
Meanwhile, Archie Baynah, a strong UP supporter, has expressed disappointment over the Boakai-Koung Ticket, instead, preferring a Boakai-Nyonblee Ticket that he says is the popular choice.
According to Archie, Koung is less known across the country except in his native Nimba County lamenting, “So, let Nimba vote for UP, as for me, I am disappointed and believe it is a terrible decision; that force cannot defeat President Weah.”
“We could have loved a Boakai-Nyonblee ticket, rather than Boakai-Koung Ticket. What you really mean, Moses Togba, a UP supporter expresses.
“Now we hope that Mr. Cummings choose Nyonblee and we will support that force with all our hearts”, a Liberty Party partisan, Abraham Nah, added.
With just four months to the October 10th Presidential and General Elections, members of the opposition bloc here are moving their muscles, strategizing how to defeat incumbent President George Weah at the poll.
Despite series of criticisms against his government, including incompetence, bad governance and massive corruption that have brought hardship on ordinary Liberians, the opposition is still experiencing tremendous headaches regarding how they can galvanize a united force, that will vigorously compete against President Weah, and perhaps defeat him.
In spite of their efforts, Mr. Weah still remains firm in his quest for re-election, rallying Liberians to his ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
On the other hand, the opposition bloc is visibly divided, as they strive to defeat the ruling establishment with the once formidable Collaborating Political Parties now reduced to a single party – the Alternative National Congress headed by Mr. Alexander B. Cummings after the Unity Party and the All Liberian Party jumped the boat, citing alleged tempering of the Framework Document that brought them together – a claim they failed to substantiate in court.
Liberty Party, the third member of Collaboration, is split in the middle as a result of internal conflict, with one faction headed by Chairman Musa H. Bility in marriage with the ANC/CPP, while a faction led by Political Leader Senator Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence, struggles to find its bearing after Friday’s development in the UP.