President of Liberia, George Weah a fortnight ago, precisely on Thursday November 16, after the highly anticipated presidential run-off conceded defeat to opposition leader Joseph Boakai.
By that singular act, President Weah has bequeathed to not only Liberians but the rest of Africa, a legacy worth celebrating beyond the immediate.
By taking this step in following the footsteps of former President John Dramani Mahama, when he conceded defeat to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2016, as a sitting president, President Weah, has earned the respect of all Africans.
According to Liberia’s Electoral Commission, Boakai, 78, a former vice president who lost to Weah in the 2017 election, led with 50.9percent of the vote over Weah’s 49.1percent, with nearly all the votes counted.
With a vote margin of less than 2percent and to save Liberia the cost and trauma of a rerun, President Weah truly acted presidentially when he announced his concession. By Liberia’s laws, he was entitled to a rerun, but he chose the route of the statesman.
His concession stands out and breaks the norm in West and Central Africa where the shoddy conduct of elections has eroded public faith in democracy resulting in eight military coups in the last three years.
The norm in elections in the region has been less than salutary. Most elections tend to be brazenly rigged against the will of the people. Most elections in the region are marred by official fraud and accusations of fraud with results frequently contested acrimoniously in the courts.
George Weah and the Liberian people are the true heroes of their democracy. With the combined effort of all, that country has finally come of age.
The people who queued up for hours on end to cast their votes and exercise their power to determine who rules them for the next six years, must be saluted too.
In all, we thank those who sacrificed their time and energy to ensure that Liberia once again stands tall in the comity of nations, as she deserves.
Finally, we congratulate President-elect, Joseph Boakai, we wish him and the Liberian people well.
