"2017 is behind us, and 2023 is just ahead of us! So, my people of Nimba County, let us do the right thing this time to the memory of Jackson Doe and other great sons of Nimba County that have passed on!"
- Joseph N. Boakai, Standard Bearer, Unity Party
GANTA, Nimba County - Former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has made a direct appeal to citizens of Bong, Lofa and Nimba to support the Unity Party ahead of the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections to honor the legacies of these counties' favorite sons- the late Gabriel Kpolleh, Dr. Edward Beyan Kessely, and Jackson Fiah Doe.
Currently, the 'Grand' Unity Party (UP) is a merger of the Unity Party founded by Dr. Edward B. Kesselly of Lofa County and the Liberia Action Party (LAP) founded by the then Nimba County Senator Jackson F. Doe of Nimba County, while the Liberia Unification Party (LUP) was founded by Gabriel Kpolleh of Bong County.
While the multiparty democracy in Liberia is credited to the Progressive Movement of the 1970s, these individuals are credited for challenging the repressive regime of Samuel Doe in the mid-80s through the formation of their respective political parties. Though the LP and the UP were barred from participating in the elections of 1985, their support for the LAP headed by Jackson F. Doe as its standard bearer propelled the LAP to a massive victory, only to be quashed by the then Military Ruler, Samuel Doe.
In June 1986, the three were charged with leading the LAP into a "Grand Coalition" opposed to Samuel K. Doe's rule. Elections officials in Doe's government held that the coalition was not a political party and thus determined that the three party leaders had illegally campaigned on behalf of an organization that the elections officials had not permitted to compete in the election. President Doe furthermore urged the Liberian Senate to attaint the three standard bearers, imprisoning them until 2011 and barring them from future involvement in politics.
Invoking historic legacies
Invoking the historic legacies of these famous sons of Bong, Lofa and Nimba, Ex-VP Bokai said in the formative year of accepting and implementing multi-party democracy in Liberia, the political leaders and first Standard Bearers of the LAP Jackson F. Doe and Dr. Kesselly, worked together in making sure that their parties overcame the hurdles to register as political parties in order to participate in the 1985 Presidential and General Elections, and but for the rigging of those elections, one of them would have been declared President of Liberia.
Before the 1985 elections, Amb. Boakai recounted that both men, along with the 'great son' of Bong County, the late Gabriel Kpolleh, political leader of LUP, another member of the 1964 family, attempted to form the first coalition of opposition political parties in Liberia to participate in the presidential elections. But, they were illegally prevented from doing so.
He added that "Because of the political philosophies of the gentleman from Nimba County, Jackson F. Doe, and the gentleman from Lofa County, Edward B. Kesselly, it is only fair to state and credit the late Jackson Doe as one of the pillars in the foundation of the Unity Party."
Addressing citizens of Nimba in Ganta at a pro-Boakai rally, the ex-Vice President called on the citizens of the three biggest counties in terms of population (with the exception of Montserrado) to form a united front in 2023 to finish the work of their favorite sons.
"Therefore, in my current capacity as Standard Bearer of the Unity Party, I do declare, and let the record show, that the grand Unity Party also belongs to the people of Nimba County. And this why, we together, Nimba and Lofa, must lock arms and march with gallant unpretended to meet the fore in October 2023 to finish the work that Jackson F. Doe, Edward B. Kesselly, Gabriel Kpolleh, and others started," he said.
He said it was not a surprise when LAP merged with UP in the 2011 Presidential and General Elections to usher in the second term of the Unity Party led by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, with him serving as a vice presidential candidate.
"That is why I would like to inform the people of Nimba County that the Liberia Action Party of Jackson Doe is still embedded in the Unity Party that I, as Standard Bearer, will present to the Liberian people again as we go into the 2023 general elections," he said.
Rescuing Liberia from Shackles of Bad Governance
Amb. Boakai continues to enjoy huge support from the realm of the opposition. Owing to his 12-year experience as Vice President of Liberia, coupled with many years in public service, many have touted him as the best choice to take on the incumbent President George Weah.
Fresh from his nomination as the Unity Party's standard bearer, his presidential bid continues to garner momentum, beginning in Nimba County where the UP enjoyed huge support that helped its back-to-win in 2005 and 2011.
The UP standard bearer was invited to the 'metropolitan' City of Ganta over the weekend for the launch of the group "The Movement of Concerned Former Local Government Authorities and Eminent Citizens of Nimba in Support of Boakai."
There, he was received by a large turnout. He thanked the citizens for organizing the 'Movement' and a warm welcome accorded his delegation.
The party suffered a huge loss in 2017 when the citizens of Nimba backed then-Senator George Weah to secure a comfortable win en route to the presidency.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The UP Standard Bearer said even though in 2017, Nimba did not deliver the presidency as expected to the Unity Party, his trust and confidence in the county remain even stronger than ever before.
"2017 is behind us, and 2023 is just ahead of us! So, my people of Nimba County, let us do the right thing this time to the memory of Jackson Doe and other great sons of Nimba County that have passed on!"
"We together must ensure in 2023 that Liberia is rescued from the shackles of bad governance, corruption, degradation, local and international public disrepute, and the culture of impunity, meted against the people of this great country by this current leadership and government."
He pledged to work with and nurtured the young leaders of the county, saying "We are truly pleased to see all of you! We cherish the brotherly relationship we have built over years and the lasting friendship with sons and daughters of not just Ganta but Nimba as a whole."
He noted that Liberia's history records that Mount Nimba has produced great minds, dedicated patriots, and outstanding public servants who have contributed immensely in the past and have continued the development of the nation.
