Liberia’s President George Weah concedes election defeat to Joseph Boakai

The near-final results of the presidential run-off show the incumbent trailing his opposition challenger, who led with nearly 51 per cent of the vote

Weah’s election in 2017 had brought hope to Liberia, but critics accuse his government of corruption and say he failed to improve the lives of the poorest

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Liberian President George Weah talks to the press at the inauguration of the new Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry building in Monrovia in November 2021. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:11am, 19 Nov 2023Updated: 5:08am, 19 Nov 2023

Liberian leader and football legend George Weah conceded defeat to opposition leader Joseph Boakai after a tight presidential run-off, saying it was “time to put national interest above personal interest”.

The latest and nearly complete results showed Boakai leading with nearly 51 per cent of the votes in Liberia, Africa’s oldest republic founded by freed American slaves.

“The results announced tonight, though not final, indicate that … Boakai is in a lead that we cannot surpass,” Weah said in a speech on national radio late on Friday.

He said his CDC party “has lost the election but Liberia has won”, adding: “This is the time for graciousness in defeat.”

Joseph Boakai prepares to cast his vote at a polling station in Monrovia during Liberia’s presidential and legislative elections in October 2017. Photo: AFP

The 78-year-old Boakai lost to Weah, 57, by a large margin in the second-round presidential vote in 2017.