Even before he declared his intention for the Liberian presidency, some Liberians, including former President Charles Taylor, had predicted that the then international footballer had ambition for the country’s top post.
That prediction became a reality when in 2005, as a JJC from the football pitch, he threw his hat and in the race to contest the nation’s highest office.
He contested that year’s elections that veteran politician, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who defeated him and others. She became Liberia and Africa’s first woman president.
During the events that accompanied the elections in that historic year, many Liberians, most of them young people, took to the streets with the slogan, “You know book, you na know book, we will vote for you.” This was in response to the some of the educated class saying that Weah was unfit for the presidency because of his low level of education.
During that year and the years that followed, the international soccer icon and later senator of Montserrado County, indisputably became the most popular politician in the history of Liberia and perhaps, he still is.
To demonstrate their admiration for him, Weah’s supporters and his ruling Congress for Democratic Change’s partisans spent their personal resources and energies under the sun and rains to ensure that he became President.
Their expectations were that the world-class soccer genius’ presidency would have attracted investors, create more jobs and redeem Liberia, a country that has just emerged from long years of a brutal civil crisis, which further threw the nation into abject poverty.
Fast-forward, his time eventually came in 2017 when he swept that year’s elections by 61.5 percent of the votes, beating Vice President Joseph Boakai of the immediate past ruling Unity Party of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
It is nearly six years now since his presidency and with less than five months to the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections in which he will be seeking a second term, it is likely the popularity and support he garnered in the previous elections are diminishing amidst increasing disillusionment among Liberians, including even his own supporters and partisans.
Today, we are hearing about disenchanted CDCians, who feel disappointed by the man they thought would have transformed their lives.
Nimba County Senator, Prince Johnson, who in previous elections, also stood by the soccer-star turned politician, has parted company with him on grounds that he has failed to use his perceived international connections to attract investors to the country.
Additionally, the National Chairman of the former ruling National Patriotic Party, NPP, a constituent member of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, CDC, has also publicly announced that the CDC and President Weah do not deserve a second term of office.
As if to add salt to injury, the Grand Kru County Alliance for the re-election of George Weah recently rescinded its initial objective and switched support to the presidential bid of opposition politician and former Vice President, Joseph Boakai of the opposition Unity Party.
In the wake of the aforementioned developments, is President Weah losing grounds politically with less than six months to the October 10, 2023 pools?
For others, mainly his supporters, President Weah has in his nearly six years of leadership, done better than any other President since 1847 and still wins the admiration of the Liberian people, while others say he is the worst president the Country has ever elected to the top seat and will be voted out on October 10.
Whatever the case will be, we are waiting to see.
