Nimba County — Speculations amongst members of Senator Prince Johnson's Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) that former Vice President Joseph N. Boakai will select the party's current standard-bearer Sen. Jeremiah Koung as his running mate ahead of the 2023 elections are high in Nimba County, according to our correspondent.
Officials of the Unity Party have declined any knowledge of plans by their political leader to choose his running mate from the county, saying that the plan is being kept a secret.
Unity Party Secretary General Amos Tweah told the New Dawn on Thursday that he is not aware of such plan by Mr. Boakai, even though there are plans to choose a running mate, but the county and name of the individual are still being kept a secret.
The Nimba County UP Chairman told our correspondent that he is not aware of such plan but pointed out that Mr. Boakai is a person who always likes to keep his cards to his chest.
However, our correspondent says, sympathizers and supporters of both Sen. Johnson and his MDR party began to spread the rumor after Mr. Boakai and the former met few weeks ago.
Sen. Johnson recently met with former Vice President Boakai following his fallout with President Weah and his Coalition for Democratic Change. At that meeting, Sen. Johnson was said to have advanced the need for a united opposition to remove the current regime in the coming election.
The news of an MDR and UP political merger is said to also be making the news on airwaves in the county.
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Our correspondent said supporters of both Senators Johnson and Koung are excited over the idea and believe that choosing their leader as a running mate will deliver the presidency to the former vice president.
The expected pronouncement, according to him is expected to witness a jump in support for Boakai should he choose their son as his running mate.
Nimba is the second vote-rich county in the country next to Montserrado. The just-ended 2022 Census puts Nimba's newest population at six hundred twenty-one thousand, eight hundred and forty-one (621,841) people.
Our correspondent says, Sen. Koung had earlier expressed interest to contest for the country's highest seat in 2029 and believes that being a running mate in the pending 2023 election will enable him to prepare for the 2029 Election.
Nimba's population has made it an attractive destination for vote seeking politicians, with sons of the county being sought after by candidates seeking their votes.
The report comes as politicians crisscrossed the county to win hearts and souls. There are speculations that the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) is also expected to choose its running mate from the county.
The news of politicians trying to woo Nimba voters by selecting their vice standard bearers from the county also comes at the time the county itself is featuring two of its sons in the Presidential race-Cllr. Tiawain Saye Gongloe and Dr. Jeremiah Whapoe.
