By Amos Harris
The Liberia Political Centrism Movement (LPCM), led by former Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) campaign spokesperson Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala, has announced its full support for President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. This declaration has triggered intense public criticism and deepened concerns over Liberia’s persistent culture of political inconsistency and opportunism.
According to the LPCM, the endorsement is based on what the group described as President Boakai’s “impressive nationwide developmental achievements” delivered within one year and eleven months. However, the public reaction tells a starkly different story.
For many Liberians, Cllr. Gbala’s political U-turn is far from convincing. During the high-stakes 2023 election campaign, Gbala was one of the most vocal critics of then-candidate Boakai, aggressively defending the CDC administration and launching repeated attacks against the Unity Party (UP) standard-bearer.
His sudden shift of loyalty has revived long-standing suspicions about political sincerity in Liberia.
“White teeth with black heart,” some citizens described the move, issuing a caution to President Boakai to tread carefully around individuals who once fiercely opposed his leadership but are now seeking proximity to the presidency.
Several Unity Party partisans have also expressed unease, arguing that the endorsement reflects a familiar pattern in Liberian politics where defeated or sidelined actors attempt to reposition themselves for appointments, influence, or relevance.
Political observers have compared LPCM’s emergence to similar patterns seen under former CDC Chairman Mulbah Morlu, whose splinter groups regularly resurfaced following changes in political power. Critics argue that many of these movements operate less on ideological conviction and more on attempts to regain footing after losing access to national resources.
UP partisans interviewed by journalists stressed that Cllr. Gbala has long been a staunch ally of former President George Manneh Weah, insisting that no political announcement can easily detach him from his deeply rooted CDC identity.
As Gbala and his movement push to rebrand themselves under the Boakai-led administration, the public debate now centers on a critical question: Does the incorporation of former staunch opposition figures strengthen national unity, or does it risk eroding trust within the government and among the ruling party’s loyal base?
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