MONROVIA – The daughter of billionaire politician Benoni Urey, Telia, has disagreed with her father, and a few other Executive Committee (EC) members of the All Liberian Party (ALP), over a decision for ALP to support the re-election bid of incumbent President George Weah in next month’s presidential election, Smart News Liberia (SNL) has reliably gathered.
The ALP, which until recently withdrew its support that lasted almost six years, from the main opposition Unity Party and the presidential ambition of former Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, (JNB), over policy differences, especially relating to disagreements over JNB’s vice standard bearer pick, held an EC meeting Friday to decide on which presidential candidate the party would pledge support to for the 10 October presidential election, with ALP’s political leader Benoni Urey requesting that the party switches support to President Weah and the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
However, insiders at the EC meeting held at the party’s Old Road, Sinkor Headquarters divulged to SNL that Telia, who serves as Chairperson for Political Affairs for the ALP, disagreed with such decision, and voted against same during a voting process to decide where next the party goes for political alignment ahead of the polls on 10 October.
Led by Telia, majority of ALP Executive Committee members present at Friday’s meeting overwhelmingly voted against the party political leader’s request for EC members to back him in his quest for the party to support Mr. Weah’s re-election in the country’s impending presidential election, according to our informants.
Our informants divulged that 17 of the ALP Executive Committee members at the meeting voted to stay neutral, against 10 others, who voted in line with Benoni Urey’s wish to support Weah and the CDC.
Our informants added that Henry P. Costa, a ranking member of the ALP, abstained from the voting process, while the party’s Chairman, Theodore Momo and three others voted for the ALP to rekindle with the Unity Party, their once blooming relationship that has gone sour.
Chairman Momo; ALP’s Deputy Chairman for Political Affairs, L. Elijah Sackie; the Chair of Chiefs and Elders Council of ALP, George Gbormoi; and the party’s Head of Religious Affairs, Aminata John; were among several others who were vocal about the ALP reaffirming support for the Unity Party’s “Rescue Mission,” our informants further divulged.
Until her party withdrew its support from the Unity Party, Telia was a staunch supporter and a fervent adherent to the Boakai for president theory.
She served the political action group in support of a Boakai presidency, the JNB Tact Team 2023, as its chairperson, until she was unceremoniously removed from that post earlier this year.
Since then, Telia has appeared peeved, most times taking to social media to register her disagreements with Boakai and the Unity Party, in very condescending manners.
Pundits told SNL that her decision to vote against the ALP declaring allegiance for Weah and the CDC, demonstrates that she still believes in the theory that as Liberian’s next president, JNB would do a better job.
The pundits emphasized that Telia’s refusal for her party to switch support over to the CDC and Mr. Weah, is also a sign that she still holds a soft spot in her heart for Joe Boakai and his presidential ambition.
A request for response sent by SNL to Telia, was not immediately responded to, while efforts to contact Benoni Urey proved abortive.
Although it may not matter, but it’s sad to note, that despite whatever ill-feeling the UP may have created in Costa, he cannot bring himself to vote along with those who are opposed to ALP pitching its tent with the CDC government, which continues to destroy the country. He didn’t have to support going back to UP but given the political profile he has been building himself as a staunch nationalist and anti-CDC and Weah regime critic, it is a pity that Costa chose to remain ‘neutral’ in a clear-cut proposal put forth by Benoni Urey of ALP: Weah or the People of Liberia. It had to take the younger lady, Telia, to at least vote against supporting Weah, despite her own quarrels with the opposition UP. The more times goes, the more our people come to know people better.