MONROVIA – As the race to the Executive Mansion heats up with the advent of election year 2023, political pundits are already wagering their bets on what they think could be the winningest ticket to clinching the Liberian presidency. Casting his net among the lot, CPP Standard Bearer Alexander B. Cummings’ former advisor and go-to person, Mr. Taa Wongbe, has released what he terms as his list of “10 politically inconvenient truths” that Liberians need to hear before the 2023 presidential election. Topping the list of his politically inconvenient truths, Taa says a Boakai/Cummings ticket in which his former boss Cummings goes as Vice President to former Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is the best option that can convince the voters to decide on an opposition presidency, otherwise incumbent President Weah will get a free ride to the Executive Mansion.
“Cummings should realize he cannot win the 2023 election by himself and with Boakai in the race, so the VP option to Boakai is his best route to the presidency. If he really loves Liberia and believes the people are tired of suffering, he must sacrifice his ego for a united opposition,” Taa Wongbe stated in one of his 10 politically inconvenient truths, adding, former Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai also needs to realize that the ticket the Liberian people are hoping for is Boakai/Cummings.
“As an elder who is notoriously inconsistent in making decisions, he has to take the lead in pushing for that dream ticket, but Urey is seen by many as the major obstacle to this. Anything short of the dream ticket will ruin Boakai’s quest,” Mr. Wongbe predicted.
For his third politically inconvenient truth, Wongbe opined that if Mr. Cummings runs by himself, the options for VP for him are limited to Nimba and the top three picks should be Jeremiah Koung, Samuel Kogar, and Garrison Yealue, noting that even with such scenario, “Cummings will still not win. Another good option would have been Edith Gongloe if another Tiawan Gongloe wasn’t in the race.”
“If VP Boakai decides to be stubborn and not approach Cummings to become his VP, the only strong option for VP for him to win is Jeremiah Koung. Anything else could ruin his quest,” Wongbe noted, as his fourth politically inconvenient truth.
Fifth on his list, Wongbe predicted that the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC’s) first 200,000 votes will come from Montserrado; while Boakai’s first 200,000 votes will come from Montserrado and Lofa. “No one knows where Cummings’ first 100,000 votes will come from,” Wongbe stated emphatically.
“Without the Boakai/Cummings ticket or a united and reconciled opposition in the second round, CDC wins the election again,” Taa Wongbe said, cautioning naysayers not to be fooled by the current sufferings, governance ills, and massive looting, and think that voters will make the right choice. “With lots of cash, a divided and fractured opposition, along with the hate among opposition leaders, CDC will emerge victorious in 2023,” Wongbe has predicted.
Touching on the down side of the incumbent administration, Wongbe said President Weah needs to use the evidence from the US sanctions to begin prosecuting those sanctioned officials and ensuring they don’t run in 2023.
“It was easy to reject the Lofa midterm election results and prosecute Samukai. He could do the same with these sanctioned officials if he wanted to be taken seriously and show voters and the international community that his election in 2023 will mean a step in a new and positive direction. If he’s wise,” Wongbe cautioned.
Touching on the legislative election, specifically the Montserrado County senatorial race, Wongbe cautioned popular radio talk host Henry Pedro Costa against overestimating his own influence.
“My brother Costa overestimates his influence and yesterday was a humbling example and also shows that running in 2023 against Saah Joseph may be detrimental to his political career,” Wongbe said.
Closing his laundry list of politically inconvenient truths, Taa Wongbe said Liberians and the international community should expect chaos, rigging attempts, and some violence in 2023.
But against the backdrop of Wongbe’s biting predictions, an official of Team Cummings, Mr. Mulbah K. Yorgbor Jr., has taken serious exception to calls for Mr. Cummings to go as Vice President to Ambassador Joseph Boakai as a means of later ascending to the Presidency.
“Cummings will not be insulted, humiliated, booed, persecuted, prosecuted and maligned into submission. I know in the end, an election has to be won, but bro, Cummings doesn’t have to throw all he’s worked for just to be President. Liberians can stick with Weah if that works for them. Even you can vote for Weah,” Yorgbor replied caustically to Wongbe’s social media post.
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