Nigerian former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has described the Liberians as the winners of the general elections while expressing optimism of a peaceful transition of government in January 2024.
Jonathan, who led the West African Elders Forum (@TheWAEF) Mediation Mission to both the October 10, 2023, general elections and the November 14, 2023, Presidential run-off poll in Liberia, commended President George Weah for exhibiting an exemplary display of statesmanship and commitment to the peace and progress of his country by accepting defeat in the election.
It was earlier reported that President Weah had conceded defeat late Friday after provisional results from the week’s runoff vote showed opposition party candidate, Joseph Boakai, beating him by just over 1 percentage point.
Elections officials said that with 99.58% of ballots counted from Tuesday’s election, Boakai was in the lead, with 50.89% to Weah’s 49.11%. The results were a dramatic reversal from the election six years ago when Weah easily beat Boakai in the second round.
“The Liberian people have spoken, and we have heard their voice,” Weah said in an address to the nation, adding that Boakai “is in a lead that we cannot surpass.”
“I urge you to follow my example and accept the result of the elections,” he said, adding that “our time will come again” in 2029.
The concession speech given even before official results were announced in Liberia comes at a time when there have been growing concerns about the decline of democracy in West Africa.
The region has seen a spate of military coups over the last several years, including one earlier this year in Gabon in the aftermath of a presidential election.
Weah said he had “the utmost respect for the democracy process that has defined our nation.”
However, reacting to the outcome of the election and Weah’s speech accepting defeat, Jonathan took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to congratulate Liberians for the peaceful conduct of the elections.
Titled: “Liberia Wins, Democracy Gains,” former Nigerian president who also conceded defeat in 2015 to former President Muhammadu Buhari, becoming the first Nigerian sitting president to be defeated in an election, however, congratulated the President-elect Boakai and urged him to be magnanimous in victory.
Jonathan also appealed to him to continued the efforts to unite and advance his country.
He wrote: “Having led the West African Elders Forum (@TheWAEF ) Mediation Mission to both the October 10, 2023, general elections and the November 14, 2023, Presidential run-off poll in Liberia, I am deeply pleased with the successful outcome of the democratic process and look forward to a peaceful transition in January 2024.
“I congratulate the President-Elect His Excellency Joseph Boakai and urge him to be magnanimous in victory and seek to continue the efforts to unite and advance his country.
“I am also particularly grateful to the outgoing President, George Weah, who has just conceded defeat and congratulated his opponent even ahead of the official declaration of the final result by the National Election Commission of Liberia.
“By doing this, President Weah has exhibited an exemplary display of statesmanship and commitment to the peace and progress of his country. I am delighted that at the end of the exercise, Liberia wins, democracy gains and our sub-region, ECOWAS, is better for it.”
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