Joseph Boakai Defeats President George Weah in Liberian Presidential Election

Liberian Presidential Election: Liberia President George Weah concedes election defeat to Joseph Boakai.

In a stunning turn of events, Liberia’s presidential election has seen incumbent President George Weah lose to the opposition candidate, former Vice President Joseph Boakai, in the second round of voting.

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Joseph Boakai, representing the Unity Party, emerged victorious with an unassailable lead, securing 814,212 votes out of the available 1,625,684 votes. On the other hand, George Weah, from the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, trailed behind with 785,778 votes as nearly all votes were counted.

Former Vice President Boakai, aged 78, who previously lost to Weah in the 2017 election, is currently leading with 50.9% of the vote compared to Weah’s 49.1%, as reported by the country’s elections commission on Friday.

By 4 pm on Friday, Boakai had a lead of 28,434 votes over Weah, and with 25,694 outstanding ballots, it is impossible for Weah to surpass Boakai even if he receives all the pending votes.”

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Weah, a former football star, assumed the presidency in 2018 after defeating Boakai in the previous election.

Boakai, who served as vice president under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from 2006 to 2018, is reported to have accepted Weah’s defeat graciously.

Liberia President George Weah concedes election defeat to Joseph Boakai

In a statement, Weah urged his supporters to follow his example and accept the election results. He acknowledged the loss, saying, “Tonight, the CDC has lost the election, but Liberia has won. This is a time for graciousness in defeat, a time to place our country above party, and patriotism above personal interest… Let us heal the divisions caused by the campaign and come together as one nation and one united people.”

The political landscape in Liberia is set for a significant shift with Boakai’s victory, marking the end of Weah’s tenure as the President of Liberia.