Embattled Liberty Party (LP) political leader Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence has endorsed Liberia's opposition leader Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai and Senator Jeremiah Koung's presidential ticket, a boost for the Unity Party campaign.
Nyonblee's endorsement of the Boakai-Koung ticket Sunday, 14 May 2023 came as a breakthrough for the former ruling Unity Party (UP) which nearly lost major political allies since the former Liberian vice president picked his running mate on 28 April.
"Therefore, in consideration of the selfless agenda that we brought to the table when we embarked on the journey with this astute statesman ... I am pleased to announce that we wholeheartedly endorse the Boakai-Koung Ticket," said Nyonblee.
A Grand Bassa Senator, Nyonblee and her kinsman, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, were rumored to have nearly concluded an arrangement to switch their loyalties to Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) leader Alexander B. Cummings before they made a U-turn.
The two officials felt let down by Boakai's decision to pick Mr. Koung instead of Senator Karnga-Lawrence as running mate.
She added that her decision followed two weeks of consultations with a broad spectrum of the membership of her party, stakeholders, and sympathizers at home and abroad.
Delivering her endorsement speech at the Fairground in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, Senator Karnga-Lawrence said her decision to endorse the Boakai-Koung ticket is to secure a better and prosperous Liberia.
She wants a country where the plight and concerns of all and every Liberian can be protected and guaranteed.
Madam Karnga-Lawrence noted that the naming of Senator Koung as Boakai's running mate was greeted with mixed public reactions.
She said it was due to the overwhelming support she had gotten for the past two years from a cross-section of Liberians as their preferred choice to be Boakai's running mate.
"We assemble here today in fulfillment of a patriotic duty to take a course of action that will mark the beginning of a significant turn in the political history of our beloved country," she said.
"Our action and direction today [are] in [the] execution of identifying, declaring and defending the right path, a path meant to put country first and foremost," Senator Karnga-Lawrence explained.
She expressed appreciation for the public trust and support and all the concerns. However, the Grand Bassa Senator urged her supporters to look deeper beyond not naming her, adding that it must all be a part of God's plan, that this time is Koung's and not Nyonblee's.
Following the pronouncement of Senator Koung as Boakai's running mate, Senator Karnga-Lawrence said she received in audience at her residence in Buchanan, some of the country's national political actors.
She said they sought her and her team's approval to feature on their tickets.
"Mr. Alexander B. Cummings followed by Ambassador Boakai who had come a few days following the nomination, to see me for the consolidation of our efforts," said Senator Karnga-Lawrence.
"Then, came one of Liberia's best legal minds and astute statesman, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe of the Liberian People's Party (LPP)."
She narrated that her team met with teams designated by these individuals and had frank discussions.
Those discussions and the different layers of consultations, she said, gave her an insight into why and how she must act.
"In arriving at the decision we announce here today following those engagements, we were guided by the following considerations."
She taken into consideration were the safeguarding of the political image of her and her team, and the general direction of her partisans and supporters.
She also cited the prospects of forming a winning ticket at this time of the electoral calendar and the long-term best interest of the nation.
She said when her team initially decided to team up with Amb. Boakai, it was against the background of his public service records, qualification, experience, and his love for the country.
She pointed out that to simply disengage from this process on account of not being named as running mate, would speak less of their honesty and commitment to contributing to the change that Liberia so deserves and finds in the person of Amb. Boakai.
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"As we set the train in motion for the rescue mission, I call on all Liberians including our partisans and supporters across the length and breadth of Liberia and in the diaspora to join us to support this ticket," she pleaded.
"It is about the country and its future. Liberia stands to regain its lost image if we all work for the success of this ticket," she noted.
Responding to his endorsement, presidential hopeful Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai extolled Senator Karnga-Lawrence for the decision.
He vowed that the rescue team will deliver for the Liberian people.
"We want to extoll you and your supporters for the decision taken here today. Indeed, history has been made," said Boakai.
He stated that a better Liberia that will work for all Liberians is at hand.
"We will make sure that the life of our people is better with good health, quality education, better economy, and job opportunities for all Liberians," he concluded.
