Boakai, the 78-year-old that defeated Liberia’s George Weah, who is he?  

 

Liberia’s incumbent president and football legend George Weah conceded defeat on Friday evening after nearly complete returns showed opposition leader Joseph Boakai leading with 50.89 per cent of the vote.

In a speech, the type never seen in Nigeria since Goodluck Jonathan lost the presidential poll in 2015 to Muhammadu Buhari, George Weah said: “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.” 

Results published by the electoral commission after tallying the ballots from more than 99 per cent of polling stations gave Weah 49.11 per cent of the votes cast.

The 78-year-old Boakai beat Weah by just over 28,000 votes.

Weah said he had spoken to Boakai “to congratulate him on his victory”.

“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 in his speech.

Dozens of Boakai’s supporters danced in celebration outside one of his party’s offices in the capital Monrovia.

Boakai, born on November 30, 1944, served as the 29th vice president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He previously served as the Minister of Agriculture from 1983 to 1985. 

Boakai ran for president in 2017, however lost the election to George Weah. He would go on to defeat Weah in a rematch in 2023.