UP Dares Opposition: ‘We’ll Beat You Again’

By Stephen G. Fellajuah

MONROVIA, Liberia, September 15, 2026 — The ruling Unity Party (UP) has thrown down an early challenge to Liberia’s opposition ahead of the 2029 presidential election, declaring that it is prepared to defeat opposition forces and retain the presidency.

UP Secretary General Amos B. Tweh issued the challenge over the weekend at the official launch of the Boakai 2029 Reelection Movement at the party’s headquarters in Monrovia.

Reacting to the recent opposition roundtable convened by former President George Manneh Weah, Tweh dismissed the gathering as posing no serious threat to the UP or President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s reelection prospects.

“That means they should get prepared. We will beat them again,” Tweh declared.

He argued that nearly three years into the Boakai administration, there has been no major political breakaway from the ruling party, while claiming that some individuals associated with the recent opposition gathering supported Boakai during the 2023 presidential election.

Tweh’s remarks come as opposition political parties explore greater cooperation ahead of the 2029 elections.

The recent opposition roundtable, hosted by Weah at the Jamaica Resort in Thinker Village, brought together political leaders to discuss a framework for future cooperation.

Participants subsequently agreed to establish a steering committee comprising two representatives from each participating political party to develop a framework governing their collaboration.

Despite the development, Tweh urged UP partisans to focus on defending the Boakai administration’s record rather than becoming consumed by political rhetoric.

He said party officials and supporters should respond to opposition criticism with what he described as “real-time data and information,” arguing that the ruling party must be measured and factual when defending the administration.

Tweh, who also serves as Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), defended the government’s performance, citing ongoing development projects as evidence of progress under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.

He pointed to projects in southeastern and western Liberia, as well as major construction activities around Monrovia, arguing that the administration is laying a stronger foundation for economic development.

On the economy, Tweh claimed that inflation, which he said was in double digits when the administration took office, has declined to about four percent.

He also rejected opposition criticism over the cost and availability of basic commodities, particularly rice.

Tweh claimed that rice prices under the previous administration reached between US$16 and US$21 in some instances, despite what he said was an allocation of US$11 million for rice subsidies.

He further argued that petroleum products are now readily available across the country without the shortages experienced during previous periods.

While acknowledging that the administration continues to face challenges, Tweh said the government remains committed to implementing its campaign promises and programs under the ARREST Agenda.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Boakai 2029 Reelection Movement say they are mobilizing young Liberians from across the political divide to support the President’s bid for another term.

The movement’s National Chairman, Abraham Destiny Garpehn, said its membership includes young people from different political backgrounds, including individuals previously associated with opposition parties and members of the UP Alliance.

Garpehn said the group’s objective is to secure Boakai’s reelection in the first round of the 2029 presidential election.

He predicted what he described as a political “tsunami” in support of Boakai and announced plans to formally launch the movement’s Montserrado County chapter on November 7, 2026.

The increasingly sharp rhetoric comes more than two years before the 2029 elections, as opposition parties explore greater coordination while supporters of the ruling party begin organizing around Boakai’s reelection.

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