By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The President of Liberia, and candidate of the ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), in the just concluded second round elections, to determine the actual winner of the 2023 Liberian presidential elections, has conceded defeat to the winner of the elections and the candidate of the Unity Party, Senator Joseph Boakai.
The National Elections Commission had announced the 73-year-old candidate of the Unity Party, Senator Joseph Boakai, the true winner of the runoff election.
The results indicated that former Vice President Joseph Boakai, secured the lead with a margin of 28,434 votes (1.78%).
According to the NEC, President Weah garnered 785,778 votes (49.11%), while Ambassador Boakai secured 814,212 votes (50.89%), resulting in a 28,434-vote difference (1.78%).
Throughout his campaign, Boakai pledged to rescue Liberia from what he asserted was a Weah administration marked by mismanagement and corruption.
Reacting to the outcome of the poll, President of Liberia, George Weah said, “it is time to put national interest above personal interest”.
“The results announced tonight, though not final, indicate that… Boakai is in a lead that we cannot surpass,” Weah said in a speech on national radio late on Friday.
He said his CDC party “has lost the election but Liberia has won,” adding: “This is the time for graciousness in defeat”.
President-elect Boakai, who served as Vice President under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for 12 years, brings to the presidency over 40 years of experience in the public sector.
