Liberia: Allegations of Political Sabotage Surface At President Weah's Campaign Rally in Bomi County

25 August 2023
FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia)
By Henry Karmo

Bomi County — Sources from Bomi County have disclosed to FrontPageAfrica that the recent incident during President George Weah's campaign visit, where members of the crowd openly voiced their disagreement with his endorsement of incumbent Senator Morris Saytumah, may have involved individuals strategically placed by his political rivals.

On Tuesday, August 22nd, during the President's campaign rally, the crowd vocally expressed their dissent by shouting "NO!" in response to President Weah's appeal to support incumbent Senator Morris Saytumah, who is running for re-election under the CDC (Congress for Democratic Change) ticket in Bomi County.

According to our sources, these dissenters were allegedly planted within the crowd and provided with LD$ 40,000, purportedly supplied by former House Speaker Alex Tyler, who is Senator Saytumah's primary rival for the senate seat in the county. Their mission was reportedly to disrupt the event and create discord between Senator Saytumah and President Weah.

Efforts to reach Mr. Tyler for his response to these allegations have been unsuccessful, as he has not responded to calls and text messages.

Senator Saytumah originally won the Bomi County senate seat in 2012 as a candidate representing the Unity Party, which was the ruling party at the time. However, he distanced himself from the Unity Party after he and other party members were suspended for not complying with the party's directives during the impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court Justice Kabina Ja'Neh.

In his bid for re-election, Senator Saytumah faces a formidable challenge from Mr. Alex Tyler, a former stalwart of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and Liberia's former House Speaker. Tyler and his Liberian People Democratic Party (LPDP) were supporters of President Weah's 2017 presidential campaign but have since severed political ties with the ruling regime.

During the political rally in Bomi, President Weah passionately urged citizens to vote for Senator Saytumah and other CDC candidates, emphasizing his desire to leave a lasting legacy through the development of the country. President Weah recalled Senator Saytumah's support during his tenure in the Liberian Senate for Montserrado County.

However, President Weah's plea was met with overwhelming rejection from the citizens, who booed Senator Saytumah and prevented him from addressing the gathering. Despite the impassioned appeals of both President Weah and Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe, the electorate continued their vocal dissent, with some attendees expressing that their presence at the rally was solely to show support for President Weah.

The incident has sparked controversy and raised questions about the role of planted disruptors in political campaigns in Bomi County. The upcoming election in the county remains highly competitive, with political tensions running high.

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