BONG COUNTY, Liberia — Opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) Secretary-General Jefferson T. Koijee has dismissed the National Patriotic Party’s (NPP) refusal to attend former President George Weah’s opposition roundtable as “grandstanding and political posturing,” asserting that the party was never invited. However, NPP Chairman George Mulbah maintains that even with an invitation, his party would boycott the event due to its troubled history with the CDC.
The sharp exchange erupted hours before Weah’s planned opposition roundtable on Saturday, Sept. 5, at his Jamaica Road office in Paynesville, exposing deep fractures between the former coalition partners as opposition figures seek broader political cooperation.
Weah, the political leader of the CDC, extended invitations to several key opposition figures, including Alexander B. Cummings, Rep. Musa Hassan Bility, Sen. Samuel G. Kogar, and select NPP members in their individual capacities. The meeting unfolds amid heightened political tension over the investigation and detention of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor regarding her alleged link to an ongoing $317 million drug case.
Taking to his official Facebook page early Saturday, Koijee refuted Mulbah’s public rejection of the roundtable.
“At no time and at no point did the Congress for Democratic Change extend an invitation to the National Patriotic Party or its national leadership to participate in the proposed opposition roundtable discussion,” Koijee said. “Therefore, any announcement rejecting an invitation that was never extended amounts to unnecessary grandstanding and political posturing.”
Koijee clarified that while certain NPP members were invited individually, neither the NPP as an institution nor Mulbah as its national chairman received an invitation. He warned Mulbah to “immediately cease and desist from creating the impression that the CDC sought the institutional participation of the NPP and was subsequently rejected.”
The CDC scribe also questioned Mulbah’s reported employment within the Office of Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, suggesting the relationship raises doubts regarding “the independence, timing, and motivation” of his statements against opposition solidarity.
Furthermore, Koijee criticized the NPP leadership’s response to Howard-Taylor’s legal troubles.
“Even more troubling was the response of the NPP leadership when its own distinguished Standard Bearer and former Vice President, Chief Dr. Jewel Cianeh Howard-Taylor, faced serious criminal allegations and incarceration,” Koijee said, calling it “one of the weakest responses in the history of a party once renowned for its fighting spirit, political potency, and revolutionary character.”
Koijee added that the CDC remains focused on building genuine opposition solidarity and will respond “firmly, lawfully, and politically” to any attempts to fracture democratic cooperation.
Speaking to journalists on Friday in Bong County, Mulbah firmly rejected any institutional collaboration with the CDC, citing six years of poor treatment within the former Coalition for Democratic Change.
“I acknowledge that some NPP members may be seen associating with the CDC, but the party respects their individual rights to participate in political activities,” Mulbah said, emphasizing that individual participation does not constitute an official party endorsement.
Mulbah asserted that while the NPP remains open to a broader opposition alliance, it will only join if respected as an equal decision-making partner rather than a mere follower.
He also revealed that Koijee had previously reached out to him during Howard-Taylor’s arrest to propose a joint press statement—a request Mulbah claims he flatly rejected.
“I rejected that request because, in my view, doing so would mean repeating what happened when we exited the coalition,” Mulbah stated.
Addressing the involvement of prominent NPP figures such as Cyril Allen and Sen. Edwin Snowe in opposition talks, Mulbah reiterated that they act strictly in their personal capacities.
“Whenever communication comes to us, we put it on our platform and consult our members,” Mulbah explained. “However, they cannot make comments on behalf of the party. If anyone does so, the NPP Constitution will apply.”
The feud highlights a fundamental rift between the former allies: while Koijee maintains the NPP cannot reject an unissued invitation, Mulbah insists an invitation would be meaningless, as the party has no intention of returning to the table with the CDC.
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