AT ABOUT 10: AM on Thursday, January 26, 2023, this paper received a piece of breaking news suggesting that Nimba County Senator, Prince Y. Johnson, and President George Weah had smoked a peace pipe.
BEING REFERRED TO as a kingmaker and political godfather of vote rich Nimba County, he recently told a Voice of America (VOA) interview that he wouldn’t support the President and his ruling CDC’s second term in the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
JOHNSON ALSO SAID he was opting to join ranks with other opposition political parties to ensure President Weah does not win a second term.
SENATOR JOHNSON, HIMSELF, a presidential candidate at the time, declared support for President Weah during the second round of the 2017 elections.
JOHNSON, AN EX-WARLORD, told the VOA he supported the former international footballer with the hope that as an award-winning soccer star, Weah’s presidency would have attracted more investors to create job opportunities for Liberians, but said the soccer star turned politician has failed.
IF THERE IS truth in the latest development that the Nimba Senator has rescinded his earlier position and smoked a peace pipe with President Weah during a late-night meeting in Monrovia, it is likely the ex-warlord’s recent outburst on the VOA was an attempt to blackmail the Liberian leader.
WE THINK SO because it is not the first time that Senator Johnson has publicly criticized the President and threatened to withdraw his support from him knowing that the ruling CDC’s political leader has always believed that without his (Senator Johnson’s) support, victory for him is uncertain.
EVEN THE VOA’S James Butty in a recent interview wanted to know from Senator Johnson whether his declared withdrawal of support from President Weah was to make money from the Government.
IN FACT, SENATOR Johnson also disclosed in the VOA interview that President Weah had sent some CDC officials, including Chairman, Mulbah Morlu, Finance Minister Samuel Tweah and others to beg him to remain supportive of him, particularly, his second term bid.
APPARENTLY BECAUSE OF the President’s dependence on Senator Johnson to win more votes from Nimba, the ex-warlord has made him an easy target of blackmail.
