McGill Paints Margibi; Dispels Rumors of ‘Destroying’ CDC; Urges Every Voting-Age Margibian to Get Out in March and Do Their Voters Registration; Calls for Unity within Margibi
IPNEWS – The former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Nathaniel Fahnlon McGill, yesterday, January 12, painted lower Margibi County blue and white when thousands of his “porcupine movement” and Team McGill supporters turned out at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) to welcome him back to Liberia. Mr. McGill, who had been out of Liberia for the last several weeks, has declared his ambition to contest for the senatorial seat of the county.
“We are building a coalition for Margibi; Margibi is time for us to be united. It’s time to make Margibi great; it’s time to bring development to Margibi,” Mr. McGill said to rounds of applauds and chants from hundreds of supporters, who were cladded in predominantly blue and white. Some wore red berets to match their blue and white outfits.
Before he began his speech, he danced to a remix of the popular Nigerian hit song “Buga” of Kizz Daniel. The song was remixed to include his name: instead of “Buga oh”, it has “We carrying McGill oh, McGill oh.”
Speaking further, he threw jibes at his opponents saying, “Gone are the days that single individuals will think that they own Margibi. This county belongs to everyone of you; anyone of you can be someone important in Margibi,” he told his supporters who cheered him consistently as he spoke.
As he thanked his supporters for turning out to welcome him back home, he stated, “The Bible says ‘when people mean evil for you, God means good for you.’ There are those who thought it was all over for McGill but God had his own divine purpose.”
Few months ago, he was slapped with sanctions from the US Treasury Department.
Speaking further, he advised his thousands of supporters that the Presidential and Legislative Elections were months down the road in October.
“2023 is a very important year in our country. Our first and foremost responsibility is on March 20th to April 6, we have to get out and register. If we have to change Margibi, the first thing that we have to do is to get our voters card. All those voters cards that you have are no longer valid. I want the people of Margibi to turn out in mass; every citizen of voting age must go and register. Don’t wait for the last minutes, because we only have three weeks to do the voters registration. Let’s go and register,” McGill urged his fellow Margibians.
Apparently because of the huge turned out, he told them in Dolo Town, Unification City, “the campaign hasn’t started but you are coming out to show your support.”
He thanked the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, including the three parties that make up the coalition for their support towards his senatorial bid.
“We built this party; we will never destroy it. There are individuals who are making some silly remarks believing that McGill will destroy what he made. My blood and sweat is in the Coalition for Democratic Change and I will never destroy it. I call for greater unity; it’s time for us to work and stop backbiting each other. It’s time for us to work and deliver for the people of Liberia; the people of Liberia deserve better.”
He told his followers that when God is about to do something, one doesn’t understand the workings of God; adding: “Margibi is about to become one of the greatest counties in republic. God is about to do something for you the people of Margibi County.”
Min. McGill then urged his supporters to remember to pray to God for Margibi; adding: “Pray for our leaders in Margibi; there is no enemy in Margibi, we are all one people. We will make Margibi great.”
He was intermittently interrupted with slogans and battle cries, including “McGill the people’s choice, McGill the chosen one.”
All other speakers who spoke earlier, pledged their support to him, stating that it was his time to be made senator of Margibi.
Specifically, the Chairman of the Traditional Council of the county, Chief Peter Banyu, who hails from Upper Margibi, said, “McGill is my son; I carried him in Gibi. I carried him where the mountain can show its birth. I told him, you Nathaniel McGill, from today, you are for Margibi and Gibi district is for you. When I say it, I mean it. I am from under the mountain and it’s owed by me. What I say to the mountain, it is what the mountain does. You are the next senator for Margibi.”
It is believed that the Gibi or Bea Mountain in Margibi, is one of those feared places in the county. There are countless of reports of how spiritually powerful in voodoos the people from the
mountain are.
Nevertheless all these praises on Mr. McGill, he is going to have an uphill battle to fight when he does make it to the race in the October 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections. He will be expected to lock horns with incumbent Senator James Emmanuel Nuquay, who is some Margibians say is the “godfather” of the county.
Sen. Nuquay represented the county for 12 years in House of Representatives and even rose to be Speaker of the House. He was chosen as running mate to former Vice President Joseph N. Boakai in the 2017 elections, which both men lost to now President Weah. Few years later, Nuquay came back and won the county’s Senate seat.
Another incumbent senator is Mr. Jim Tornonlah, who, too, is maybe ready for the fight.
