Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has congratulated President-elect of Liberia George Oppong Weah.
With nearly all ballots from Tuesday’s run-off vote counted, the former football star is well ahead of opponent Joseph Boakai with more than 60% of the vote.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Akufo-Addo wrote “Warm congratulations to George Oppong Weah on his decisive victory in Liberia’s peaceful presidential run-off, thus becoming the next President of the Republic of Liberia.
“Vice President Boakai is also to be commended for the maturity of his campaign. This election has strengthened the frontiers of democracy in Liberia, and it is our hope that it will lead to the improvement of the living standards of Liberians. Best wishes for the success of President-elect George Weah, and Vice President-elect, Jewel Taylor”.
He will succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president, in Liberia’s first democratic handover in decades.
“My fellow Liberians, I deeply feel the emotion of all the nation,” Mr Weah wrote on Twitter after the results were announced.
“I measure the importance and the responsibility of the immense task which I embrace today. Change is on.”
Who is George Weah?
Mr Weah starred at top-flight European football clubs Paris St-Germain (PSG) and AC Milan, before ending his career in England with brief stays at Chelsea and Manchester City.
He is the only African footballer to have won both Fifa World Player of the Year and the prestigious Ballon D’Or.
He entered politics after his retirement from the game in 2002 and is currently a senator in Liberia’s parliament.
Mr Weah, 51, won the first round of the presidential election in October with 38.4% of the vote, compared with the 28.8% won by second-placed Mr Boakai, 73. The failure of any candidate to secure an outright majority forced the run-off.
The National Elections Commission (NEC) said on Thursday that with 98.1% of the run-off vote counted, Mr Weah had won 61.5% of the vote while Mr Boakai was far behind with 38.5%.
Legal challenges delayed the vote to replace Ms Sirleaf, and turnout was low – put at 56% by election officials.
But election observers have praised the conduct of the poll.
More than two million people were eligible to cast their ballots in the nation of 4.6 million people.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com
