In a decisive turn of events, Liberian opposition leader Joseph Boakai has surged ahead in the presidential runoff, poised to become the next leader of the West African nation.
With 99.6% of polling stations counted from the November 14 poll, Boakai has secured 50.9% of the vote, according to the National Elections Commission’s Friday announcement. Incumbent George Weah trails with 49.1%.
Boakai, 78, who previously lost to Weah in 2017, has capitalized on anti-Weah sentiment, gaining support as Weah’s popularity waned due to rising living costs and pervasive corruption.
Weah, a former AC Milan star and FIFA World Player of the Year, faced challenges as inflation spiked to 12.4% in June, the fastest pace in over two years, and the Liberian dollar depreciated nearly 18% against the greenback in the same year.
The opposition leader, having served as deputy to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, aims to boost economic growth by focusing on improving infrastructure and increasing farm output.
As the counting nears completion, with only 25 polling stations remaining, one will be rerun on Saturday, while the rest will undergo investigation for potential electoral malpractices, as confirmed by Davidetta Browne Lansanah, the chairwoman of the National Elections Commission.
