MONROVIA : After keenly contesting the first round elections on October 10, 2023 and emerging as winner and runner-up respectively with a very slim difference, President George Manneh Weah and his main challenger, Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai carried over similar stiff competition to the second round yesterday, Tuesday, November 14, 2023 when results which emerged from the various counties showed that none of them was in a clear lead, leaving a huge suspense for anxious Liberians who are eager to know the final results of the exercise.
While the official results from the National Elections Commission (NEC) are yet to be made public by the electoral umpire, however, unofficial results collated from the field by our reporters and other sources including results pasted on the bulletins of polling centers, poll watchers, independent observers, among others.
The reports indicate that there was no significant shift in the winning pattern of both President Weah and Ambassador Boakai as only slight chances either by losing or winning at places they either won or lost during the first round.
President Weah held on to his stronghold in Southeast where he won majority votes while making some gains in Nimba where he won District 4, and got some significant improvement in some big cities like Sanniquellie, Ganta, Saclepea, Bahn, among others. He still had strong showing in Ambassador Boakai’s backyard in Foya District, Lofa County where he repeated a similar feat recorded during the first round when he defeated the UP standard bearer.
On the other hand, Ambassador while maintaining a marginal lead in Montserrado County like before and still led in Lofa County despite losing his home area of Foya to Weah. He held on to Western Liberia in addition to Nimba County where his running mate, Senator Jeremiah Kpan Koung hails from.
In addition Boakai still had an advantage over the President in Bong and Margibi counties though very slim.
During the first round, President Weah polled 804,087 registered votes which represents 43.83% and Boakai netted 796,961 representing 43.44%. The results obtained by both contenders were not enough to guarantee any of them an outright first round victory as the constitution calls for candidates winning the Liberian presidency to score 51% of the total number of the votes cast during the election cycle.
A win in the runoff by any of them will push their bids to being the eventual winner of the 2023 general elections.