Keeping Score on CPP’s Saga
The opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), which was formed to challenge President George Manneh Weah’s ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in the upcoming 2023 representative and presidential elections, appears to be coming to a tragic end, as its leaders are embroiled in legal battles that could leave deep scars on their minds against one another.
Several current legal battles amongst opposition members appear to be split between Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Alexander B. Cummins. It all started when Benoni. Wilfred Urey, the leader of the ALL Liberian Party and a major supporter of former Vice President Joseph Boakai, sued Alexander Benedict Cummings, the Leader of the Alternative National Congress, for allegedly modifying the CPP’s framework paper.
The Liberty Party’s struggling leader Musa Hassan Bility, who heads a faction of the LP that supports Cummings, followed suit and sued Sen. Dillon for libel and defamation of character. Senator Dillon, along with Senator Lawrence, is the other LP partisan who backs VP Boakai.
Three people believed to be members of Sen. Lawrence’s fraction of the Liberty Party (LP), filed another political lawsuit today, this time against Musa Hassan Bility, the party’s embattled chairman, who recently sued Senator Abe Darius Dillon for libel and slander against his person.
Romeo Coker, Jeremy Russell, and Napoleon Weah asked Monrovia City Court Stipendiary Magistrate Jomah S. Jallah to issue a writ of arrest against the Liberty Party’s Musa Bility and Martin Kollah for suspected forgery, criminal conspiracy, and criminal facilitation (LP). The court has ordered Captain Larry Gormoryor to arrest suspects Musa Bility and Martin Kollah and bring their bodies before the Monrovia City Court. According to the writ, defendants Bility and Kollah tampered with the Liberty Party’s constitution on purpose.
“During the period of January A.D. 2021 in the City of Monrovia, Montserrado County and Gbarnga, Bong County, respectively, Republic of Liberia, the within named defendants being there and then with the intent deceive the membership and partisans of Liberty Party as well as the public, connived and conspired and purposely, criminally and intentionally did alter the Constitution of the Liberty Party after its convention and submitted the said documents to the National Elections Commission (NEC) known fully well that they were not authorized to so do neither were they the conveners of the said convention with wicked and criminal intent”, the writ read in part.
A few days later, another ardent supporter of VP Boakai, Henry Costa, exposed Ivah Tukpah and spearheaded a campaign that forced Cummings to fire his Chief of Office Staff for characterizing the First Family of the Republic of Liberia in a sexual manner.
The ANC leader on social media said he was letting IVah Tukpah go with a sad heart because of his dedication. This is despite the fact that the book that is the object of my concern was written long before Isaac joined our team. Since joining the team, Mr. Tukpah has served with diligence and professionalism, and I have come to respect and admire his work. My decision was not taken lightly because I value Isaac’s work and contributions. “
There was mass exodus from the ALP when their Leader announced his party withdrawal from the CPP and took Cummings to Court. Several party officials of ALP left citing dissatisfaction with the manner Mr. Urey was handling matters of the party
This conflict, which may more accurately be defined as self-destruction, looks to be weighing on the chances of opposition win in 2023, as ANC, which is currently dealing with two lawsuits and one resignation, while Boakai’s camp is dealing with a lawsuit, several resignations from the ALP.
Is there a viable alternative offered by the opposition? Well, as they continue to battle, we’ll keep track of the score. 2-Cummings Boakai 3.
