Zwedru — The Unity Party's fundraising campaign, designed to mobilize support and generate resources for the construction of its county headquarters, has taken an unexpected turn, becoming a platform for the expression of frustration by long-standing supporters who feel sidelined after the 2023 elections.
Grand Gedeh County, the latest stop of the nationwide campaign, mirrored the discontent seen earlier in Nimba, where turnout was also low and enthusiasm faltered despite the party's high expectations. In Zwedru, the rally, chaired by Liberia Maritime Authority Commissioner Neto Zarzar Lighe, struggled with a disappointing attendance, fueling irritation among local partisans who cited the absence of key rally officials as a major letdown.
"Don't make Grand Gedeh your Tabu, these kinds of occasion are meant to comeback and interact with your struggling partisan who were standing there for you" Grand Gedeh county youth coordinator George Dugbeh expressed disappointment over the boycotted event.
But it was a fiery address from Fedrick Gunor Howard, a prominent grassroots mobilizer, that seized the spotlight and sent ripples across the political landscape. Howard, visibly frustrated, accused top Unity Party leaders--particularly Vice President Jeremiah Koung--of abandoning the very supporters who labored to secure their electoral victory.
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What happened here? People threatened our lives," Howard charged. "If the election had ended in confusion, some of us would have died. But today, nobody knows us."
He reminded the VP of the once-powerful auxiliary group, Friends of Jeremiah Koung, which he said was instrumental in building the party's presence in Grand Gedeh long before the Unity Party gained momentum there.
"Vice President Jeremiah Koung, listen to me--you have forgotten too soon. We are the ones who made you," he declared to loud reactions from the crowd. "Nobody is more important than their friend when it comes to elections. You have one vote, I have one vote."
Howard accused the administration of failing to appoint auxiliary leaders and grassroots influencers who played strategic roles across the county during the tense election season, when Grand Gedeh was considered a no-go zone for parties outside the CDC.
"When George Weah's people raised eyebrows here, we came outside. We mobilized people from all parts of the county and from the gold mines. Where are they today? Where are those who made the Unity Party gain ground here?" he asked.
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According to Howard, the party's leadership has become "sentimental, mean, and tribalistic," abandoning the solidarity that bound supporters together through difficult political terrain.
"Vice President Koung and President Boakai, you need to wake up. You need to think twice. You need to come back," he urged. "You people are not treating us fine. You have forgotten us, and it's wrong."
