-Former President Weah criticizes Boakai’s Government as he launches the CDC $1 dues Payment Campaign
By Jerromie S. Walters
Congo Town, Liberia – At the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) headquarters in Congo Town, former President George Weah branded the ruling Unity Party as the “real problem” plaguing Liberia. The event, which marked the official launch of the CDC’s $1 dues payment campaign, doubled as a rallying cry for the opposition’s resurgence ahead of the 2029 elections.
“The Liberian people now see the truth—the real problem is the Unity Party in power!” Weah noted while addressing his supporters on Saturday, April 12, 2025. He framed the Boakai administration as a “failure” that has “sank the country deeper into poverty, fear, and hopelessness” since taking office in 2024. “They rode to power on false promises of ‘rescue,’ but what have they delivered? Executive overreach, lawlessness in the Legislature, and security forces brutalizing citizens,” Weah emphasized. The House of Representatives under Mr. Boakai’s presidency has displayed the suspension of sixteen of its members, something historians say has never happened in the country’s history.
The former president, who conceded defeat in 2023 by a narrow margin of under 20,000 votes, defended his decision to step down peacefully but warned that the CDC would not tolerate “the erosion of democracy” under UP’s watch. He cited the violent clashes at the Capitol Building as evidence of institutional collapse. The former president believes… “This government is failing. And Liberia is paying the price.”
Preparing for a comeback
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai defeated former President George Weah with 50.64 percent of the votes to 49.36 percent in the second round of the 2023 presidential election, which was held on 14 November. Taking up office at 79, Boakai who is now 80 is recorded as the oldest president of the country. President Boakai was sworn into office on Monday, January 22, 2024.
When the Boakai administration met its one-year mark, a considerable portion of the Liberian populace felt his inaugural year was less effective than that of his predecessor. Many cited to this publication the soaring costs of necessities, lapses in combating drugs, low job creation, and a troubling disregard for the rule of law as key challenges facing the nation. Considering that he is entitled to a six-year term, it means that the 80-year-old has less than five years to exhaust his first term.
Now, the gentleman who he (Boakai) slightly defeated a little over a year ago is reenergizing to reclaim the presidency. Weah told his supporters over the weekend: “This rally today is a clear sign: We are reorganizing. We are preparing. We are coming back! But in order to do that, we must build stronger – together. We must fortify the one institution that can correct the failures of the Boakai administration – and that institution is the Mighty Coalition for Democratic Change!”
Rebuilding the “People’s Movement“
Weah phrased the dues campaign as a critical step toward reclaiming power, urging partisans to contribute financially to fortify the party’s grassroots machinery. “Your dues are a seed of commitment,” he said, flanked by key allies including Speaker Fonati Koffa and acting CDC Chairman Janga Kowo.
Emphasizing the CDC’s legacy as the “party of the slums and the voiceless,” the former President vowed to correct UP’s governance failures but insisted the opposition would “play by the rules”—eschewing violence in favor of strategic mobilization.
In a direct appeal to disillusioned CDC members who defected post-2023, Weah extended an olive branch: “Come back home. Let’s resolve our differences and move forward.” The event unexpectedly drew hundreds of CDC partisans, with long queues forming as members paid their dues—a show of renewed dedication to the party. Among the high-profile attendees were multiple CDC lawmakers, including Montserrado County District #10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah.
Koffa and McGill Recommit
Also at the CDC’s dues launch event on Saturday, embattled House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa reiterated his position as the legitimate Speaker of the House of Representatives despite recent controversies.
His words, “I stand before you not as a mouthpiece of the regime, but as the Speaker of the Republic of Liberia.” He added: “I am proud to be an ordinary citizen—one who steps aside when the people’s convoy approaches, not out of fear, but out of respect.”
He pledged unwavering support for the CDC until the party regains national leadership. From his end, the CDC Legislative Caucus Chairperson and Margibi County Senator Nathaniel F. McGill reaffirmed the caucus’s commitment to party initiatives aimed at reenergizing its grassroots base. He emphasized unity, discipline, and strategic planning as key to a successful political resurgence.
