Picks Female Running Mate From Bassa
By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor
Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson is still in the presidential race. He has picked a vice presidential running mate from Grand Bassa County, and he is warning all Nimba citizens not to vote for Vice President Joseph Boakai.
Commenting on those who running to Nimba for votes, Johnson said, Nimbians are always there for him and those running there are fooling themselves.
“Ask President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, she appointed many people from Nimba in her government thinking that our people will vote for her, but during Election Day, they came behind me. That should serves as warning shot to those fanning in Nimba County for votes. Nimbaians, he noted, cannot take out their guts for strangers and leave their son in the wilderness,” Prince Johnson said.
Johnson continues to defy rumors that he was supporting Veep Boakai for President. But with the latest move to pick a running mate, political pundits say Prince Johnson has not thrown in the hat yet and is well deep inside presidential politics, weeding his way for the Executive Mansion.
Nimba is one of the populous counties that has electoral dividend for any presidential candidate. But Johnson does not only relying on his birth county alone. He has picked a Grand Bassa citizen, Mrs. Audrian Smith Forbes for his vice president.
The presidential and vice presidential ticket for Johnson’s political party, Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) is complete. Prince Johnson picked his running mate Wednesday, July 5th.
As the 2017 Representatives and Presidential elections gradually approach, Senator Johnson is striving to ensure that the victory is his. Having tested presidential race in 2011 elections and coming third, Johnson is not leaving any stone unturned in making sure that the MDR takes the keys of the Executive Mansion from the hands of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The Nimba County strongman’s naming of Madame Audrian Smith Forbes of Edina, Grand Bassa County for Veep running mate shocked many. What remains to be seen is what political dividend Madam Forbes brings to the table to ensure that Prince Johnson wins Grand Bassa County, comes October 2017.
Madam Forbes sat there during the ceremony like the proverbial goose dressed in ostrich’s garment. She is a very little politically known figure. She could not even rightly pronounce the name of the party on whose ticket she contesting. She sat looking uncomfortable, as Standard Bearer Prince Johnson announced her as his running mate.
At the MDR national headquarters in Congo Town, Monrovia, July 5th, Senator Johnson said, he is not a politician; instead, he is a former army general who has come to redeem the poverty stricken people of Liberia.
Senator Johnson contested the 2011 Presidential elections and he came third place of the 22 contenders. He said his decision to contest the presidency of Liberia is to redeem the country, and not for self-seeking gains as being portray by others. It is not clear who those in bondage that Senator Johnson wants to redeem.
“We told you that they (lawmakers, etc.) resigned from contesting for the presidency and went on their farms, but today they cannot show anything that look like bitter ball. Some serve as Agriculture Minister, but they cannot show agricultural achievements, but now they come to run for the president. They’re pretending they know about the challenges of this country. These are liars,” he said.
