Liberia: CDC Warns UP Against Rigging 2029 Elections As Mo Ali Fires Back Over War Remarks

KINJOR, Grand Cape Mount County — The opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) has warned the ruling Unity Party (UP) against any attempt to manipulate the outcome of Liberia’s 2029 presidential and legislative elections, declaring that it will not accept what its leaders described as an attempt to steal the people’s mandate.

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By Gerald C. Koinyeneh

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The warning dominated the party’s 2026 Martyrs’ Day celebrations held in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County, from November 4 to November 7, where senior CDC officials, former government officials, lawmakers, and partisans gathered to commemorate members and other Liberians who lost their lives during political struggles and confrontations with state security forces.

Mo Ali fires back

But the CDC’s warning has drawn a sharp reaction from senior Unity Party member Mo Ali, who accused the opposition of threatening another war and cautioned against what he described as the party’s reliance on conflict rhetoric.

Although the Unity Party has not issued an official response to the CDC’s statements, Ali took to his official Facebook page to challenge keynote speaker and former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Paulita C. Wie over her remarks at the gathering.

“So CDC’s only tactic is to threaten war?” Ali wrote, questioning Wie’s reference to war and invoking Liberia’s civil war, which began on December 24, 1989.

He recalled that some Liberians who initially celebrated the arrival of rebel forces later became victims when those forces captured their communities.

“Some of the people who jubilated the coming of the rebels became some of the first victims when those same rebels captured their communities,” Ali stated.

He further accused the CDC of lacking the intellectual capacity to withstand the Unity Party politically, arguing that its leaders were relying on threats rather than constructive political engagement.

“Anyways, the only reason why the CDC is always threatening war is because they are bereft of any intellectual capacity to withstand the UP,” he wrote.

Ali also rejected the suggestion that Liberians would support another confrontation, declaring: “Liberians are tired of their war tactics and no one will follow that.”

He concluded with a direct challenge to the opposition: “If they want to fight, we will give them somewhere in the forest to go fight. Liberia is not for war mongers.”

Wie’s 2029 Warning

Ali’s comments followed Wie’s remarks at Saturday’s Martyrs’ Day program, where she warned that the CDC would not accept an appeal for peace if the 2029 elections were manipulated.

“Under Joseph Boakai as President, the government is corrupt, they are evil, they’re demonic, and they are a wicked government,” Wie declared, launching a blistering criticism of the Boakai-led administration.

Addressing former President George Manneh Weah, the CDC’s political leader and standard-bearer, Wie insisted that the party should not accept political compromises in the name of peace if its electoral victory were undermined.

“Former President Weah, we will not be accepting ‘for the sake of peace’ in 2029. If Unity Party wants war, we will give it to them. If they want peace, we will also give them peace. We will reciprocate whatever they give us,” she said.

Wie, who contested against Senator Abraham Darius Dillon in the 2019 Montserrado County senatorial by-election, previously served as Deputy Minister for Urban Affairs under the former Ministry of Internal Affairs, now the Ministry of Local Government. She has remained a vocal member of the CDC.

Her remarks reflected the increasingly confrontational tone adopted by several opposition figures as the country moves toward the next general elections.

Gray Joined the Fray

Former Montserrado County Representative Acarous M. Gray also reinforced the party’s position in a Facebook post on Sunday, November 8, declaring 2029 a victory year for the opposition and warning the Unity Party against entertaining thoughts of manipulating the electoral process.

“There’s one truth that UP has to hear very loud and clear: 2029 is a victory year for the opposition community,” Gray wrote.

He accused ruling party supporters of suggesting that they could steal the elections, warning that any such move could trigger serious political consequences.

“We don’t pray for chaos, but you will have a peaceful one if you get stupid. To even think about stealing the elections is for you to accept the total demise of your government and your existence,” he added.

Gray further predicted that the opposition would secure an overwhelming first-round victory, insisting that the Unity Party would have to relinquish power peacefully after the elections.

McGill’s Comments

The CDC’s electoral warning was accompanied by messages of party revival and renewed political mobilization from Margibi County Senator Nathaniel McGill, a former national chairman of the party.

McGill urged partisans to remain committed to the CDC’s political resurgence, assuring them that the party would survive and return to power.

“We need to deliver victory in 2029. I want you to go home and know that your party will remain supreme and your party will survive,” McGill told supporters.

He also announced plans to rebuild the party’s national headquarters, disclosing that Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe Taylor had pledged to contribute 50 percent of the cost, while he and the party’s standard-bearer and Executive Committee would provide the remaining 50 percent.

“On behalf of the standard-bearer and the EC, I will provide the balance 50 percent,” McGill said, expressing confidence in the party’s ability to regain political ground.

He also declared that Grand Cape Mount County would no longer remain politically aligned with the Unity Party.

Kowo Calls for Justice, Accountability

While the political warnings and subsequent exchanges dominated the public discussion surrounding the commemoration, CDC National Chairman Atty. Janga A. Kowo used his Martyrs’ Day message to emphasize the historical significance of the event, the need for accountability for unresolved political killings, and the importance of protecting democratic freedoms.

Addressing party leaders, militants, sympathizers, and residents of Grand Cape Mount County, Kowo conveyed solidarity from former President Weah, the National Executive Committee, and the wider leadership of the CDC.

He said the November 7 commemoration was not simply about remembering the deaths of party members but also about honoring their courage and sacrifices in the struggle for democracy, justice, freedom, and a better Liberia.

“Today, November 7, 2026, we gather in solemn remembrance of the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the struggle for democracy, justice, freedom, and a better Liberia,” Kowo stated.

The CDC chairman recalled the November 7, 2011, confrontation at the party’s national headquarters in Monrovia, when partisans assembled at the facility and were confronted by state security forces, resulting in deaths, injuries, and widespread suffering.

He described the incident as one of the darkest chapters in the history of the political institution, noting that the memories of those who died and the families affected remained deeply embedded in the party’s collective consciousness.

Kowo also extended the commemoration beyond the 2011 incident, remembering Comrade Tamba Momo, who was killed in Foya, Lofa County, in an incident the party attributed to supporters of the Unity Party.

He further remembered Comrade Joshua, whose killing in Monrovia brought grief and outrage to the CDC community, as well as residents of Kinjor who lost their lives during confrontations involving the Liberia National Police.

The chairman said the deaths of these individuals and other Liberians must not be forgotten, regardless of their political affiliations.

“The value of a Liberian life must never depend upon political affiliation. No family should be denied justice because of the political beliefs of a loved one,” he emphasized.

Kowo renewed the CDC’s call for credible, impartial, and transparent investigations into unresolved incidents of political violence and unlawful killings across the country.

He insisted that anyone found responsible for criminal acts must be held accountable through due process, irrespective of political affiliation, public office, or influence.

“Justice must never be selective,” he declared.

Kinjor Commemoration Carries Broader Significance

Explaining the decision to hold this year’s commemoration in Kinjor, Kowo said the gathering was intended to demonstrate that the memory of those who died in the struggle for justice and human dignity extended beyond Monrovia to every part of Liberia.

He expressed solidarity with Grand Cape Mount County residents and families still seeking answers over the deaths of their loved ones, stressing that the experiences of affected communities must be documented and preserved for future generations.

However, he cautioned that remembrance should also inspire a rejection of political violence, respect for the rule of law, and protection of the democratic rights of all Liberians.

“The greatest tribute we can pay to our fallen compatriots is to help build a Liberia where no citizen loses his or her life merely for exercising democratic rights,” Kowo said.

The 2026 commemoration was held under the theme, “They Carried the Struggle – We Carry Their Legacy.”

The annual Martyrs’ Day observance traces its origins to November 7, 2011, when a confrontation between CDC partisans and state security forces at the party’s national headquarters in Monrovia reportedly left people dead and others injured.

Over the years, the party has expanded the commemoration to remember other members and citizens who lost their lives during political activities and confrontations across the country, including incidents in Foya and Kinjor.

The four-day observance in Grand Cape Mount County culminated on Saturday with speeches and renewed calls for political mobilization, justice, and accountability.