Weah Loses Liberian Presidential Election, Concedes Defeat

Incumbent Liberian President, George Oppong Weah, Friday evening, announced that he lost his bid for a second term shot at the office, in the run-up election. 

He also conceded defeat to opposition leader, former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai. 

The announcement is contained in a speech he made on the country’s national radio while acknowledging the outcome of the keenly contested run-up election. He disclosed that he had already spoken to Boakai to, as he puts it, "...congratulate him on his victory”.

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight the CDC (party) has lost the election, but Liberia has won.

"This is the time for graciousness in defeat, to put national interest above personal interest," he announced. 

Official result published by the country's electoral commission, after collation of ballots from over 99 per cent of polling stations, indicates that the incumbent President polled 49.11 per cent of the votes cast, the opposition leading by slightly over 28,000 votes.

“The Liberian people have spoken and we have heard their voice. However, the closeness of the results reveals a deep division within our country,” Weah said.

Seventy-eight year-old Boakai, a former Vice President, lost to Weah in the 2017 election. However, with almost all the votes counted, he won the re-run with 50.9 per cent ballots as opposed to that of the incumbent President who polled 49.1