Outgoing President Gives VP Boakai ‘Cold Shoulder’ At President Weah’s Inauguration

The scene at the inauguration of Liberia’s 24^th President, soccer legend, George Manneh Weah and his Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor at the Samuel Kanyan Doe Sports Complex (SKD) was joyful as several African heads of state graced the occasion with dozens of dignitaries in attendance.

The complex which was parked to capacity with two losing their lives as a result of the overcrowding of the complex, outgoing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who arrived at the occasion after the arrival of her Vice President, Joseph Nyuma Boakai received a thunderous applauds sat alongside the Vice President on the podium.

As all eyes focused on the outgoing President and her Vice President; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Joseph Nyuma Boakai, it was notably observed that the outgoing President did not interact with her Vice President throughout the program, instead her entire attention was publicly focused on her successor, President George Manneh Weah.

This situation, isolating the Vice President during this all-important program created serious concerns amongst hundreds of Liberians who had gone to witness the inauguration of their youthful 24^th President and his Vice President, the first ever female VP of Liberia.

Some Liberians who spoke to our reporter at the program, said they were taken aback of the appearance isolation of the outgoing Vice President and his boss, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, “The action on the part of madam Sirleaf by isolating her vice president in public has proven that still has something against Mr. Boakai; she hard to forget and forgive,” Annie Davids who was at the occasion told the GNN in an exclusive interview.

During the just ended 2017 general and presidential elections it was heavily rumored that the than president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was supporting the presidential bid of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate, George Weah.

This situation gave rise to the expulsion of  the than president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from her political party, the ruling Unity Party. This reported expulsion of madam Sirleaf was rejected.