Liberia: Kolubah Declares Political War On Boakai At Doe Burial – ‘You Want War, I’ll Give You War!’

MONROVIA — The burial and symbolic reburial ceremonies of former First Lady Nancy B. Doe and her husband, former President Samuel Kanyon Doe, are over. But President Joseph Nyumah Boakai now faces another challenge–Rep. Yekeh Kolubah–for the remainder of his term.

While in Grand Gedeh County, the home of the deceased, Kolubah, as usual, attracted a sizable crowd, giving him the confidence to continue his verbal attacks on the President.

“When you want war, I will give you war,” Kolubah declared.

Kolubah, representative of Montserrado County District 10, was a vocal critic of former President George Weah throughout Weah’s six-year tenure–a campaign that was once celebrated by Boakai and other opposition figures.

Now, Kolubah accuses Boakai of failing to live up to his campaign promises of justice and rule of law.

“Joseph Boakai, I will give you bitter Liberia, and the next time you will never say Yekeh is a crazy man. I will make you unpopular in this country. You have people in your government stealing money, but what have you done? You are an embarrassment. You are not an old man–you are another crook,” he said, to cheers from supporters.

A former anti-Weah stalwart, Kolubah has become a surprise favorite among Weah’s allies, who praise him for what they describe as consistency and political loyalty.

When Weah was in power, Kolubah regularly accused the former president and his officials of corruption, mysterious killings, and widespread misconduct. Then, he was hailed by the opposition for his courage. Now, many of those same opposition figures–now in power–are silent in the face of Kolubah’s continued criticisms.

Kolubah has accused Boakai of engaging in political witch hunts against former government officials–despite having previously called for the arrest and imprisonment of the same individuals for alleged corruption.

Boakai was in Grand Gedeh to fulfill his promise to participate in the burial of the former First Family. However, the occasion was overshadowed by a standoff between Kolubah and former warlord Joshua Milton Blahyi, commonly known as “General Butt Naked.”

Kolubah vs. Butt Naked

Kolubah, whose wife hails from Grand Gedeh, said he did not travel there to sit in the same hall with Boakai, but rather to honor his family and in-laws. He was seen in multiple online videos marching through the streets of Zwedru with a crowd of young people behind him.

To Blahyi–known for his past notoriety during the civil war–the demonstration was a threat to the President’s safety.

“Yekeh walking around with that number of people, whether they are loyal to him or not, is risky,” Blahyi said. “I’m calling on the police and the AFL to deploy a presence around him.”

Blahyi admitted that he and others had failed to condemn Kolubah’s behavior in the past when the lawmaker was targeting the Weah administration.

“The reason I don’t have the moral standing to advise Yekeh today is because he did the same thing for six years, and none of us had the courage to talk to him. It would make me sound like a hypocrite. But his expression of hate toward our President is concerning. As someone with knowledge of crime and security, I know this is dangerous,” Blahyi said.

The former rebel leader added that if state security forces did not act swiftly, he would personally monitor Kolubah.

“I give them 20 minutes. If I don’t see the presence of police or AFL, I will provide citizen protection for my President. I will jump in Yekeh’s convoy and monitor every movement he makes,” Blahyi warned.

Blahyi himself was seen moving with men in black sunglasses who appeared to be part of a private security team.

He also urged motorcyclists not to follow Kolubah, warning that their presence could lead to negative perceptions and possibly incriminate them in the event of any incident.

He blamed the motorcyclists’ involvement on the economic hardship created by the government, which he said has pushed young people to latch onto any opportunity.

Kolubah Responds

Kolubah fired back at Blahyi’s threats.

“He can’t threaten me in Grand Gedeh. I live here more than he does. Do you see me hiding? He wants a job from Joseph Boakai, but he will never get it. Come–I am waiting for you. After here, me and my supporters will be going to Ma Mary’s shop. Come and meet me there,” Kolubah said, to loud applause from his supporters.

During the CDC administration of former President George Weah, Kolubah was once chased out of Grand Gedeh for his harsh criticisms and unruly behavior. At that time, he had traveled to the county to support the presidential bid of Alexander B. Cummings of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), then a member of the now-defunct Collaborating Political Parties (CPP).

By Liberian Investigator.