By Sidiki Fofana | Truth in Ink
It is no longer a secret: the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) of George Manneh Weah harbors an unrelenting desire for a political comeback. Among its diehard supporters, this ambition is framed as a quest to complete the grassroots agenda they say was cut short by what they describe as “lies and propaganda” waged by the opposition, turned ruling party led by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Boakai’s government, to the disappointment of many Liberians, has struggled to deliver on its promises. Only 13 out of close to 50 government’s institutions met its performance contracts, an alarming 74% performance failure. According to a recent Afrobarometer survey (2025), 71% of Liberians believe the ruling Unity Party (UP) prioritizes party interest over national interest, and 63% say partisanship is dividing the country more than uniting it.
(Source: Afrobarometer, Liberia Survey, 2025)
This backdrop of rising public dissatisfaction has emboldened many within the CDC to believe that returning to the Executive Mansion in 2029 is not only possible, but probable.
Yet political “comebacks” are rare, and when they do happen, they are never acts of divine intervention. They are built through discipline, broad coalition-building, and hard-earned reinvention.
Liberia itself offers recent precedent. The Unity Party, after 12 years in power (2006–2018), was defeated by the CDC in 2017. Many declared the UP era over. Yet after six years in opposition, the UP stunned observers by defeating the incumbent Weah, a feat last seen in Liberia during the mid-20th century.
As Liberian historian Dr. Elwood Dunn observed: “Liberia’s political landscape is one of long memories and short loyalties; parties do not die if they retain networks of patronage and narratives of unfinished business.” (Elwood Dunn, Liberia and the Political Comeback, Monrovia Press, 2024)
Globally, the precedents exist also:
- Charles de Gaulle returned after 12 years out of government in France.
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva came back after imprisonment and political scandal to reclaim the Brazilian presidency.
- In Côte d’Ivoire, former President Laurent Gbagbo, once imprisoned and exiled, returned to national politics.
- In Kenya, opposition leader Raila Odinga has repeatedly mounted near-successful comeback campaigns, remaining a major force across two decades.
- Donald Trump’s political comeback defied expectations after his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. Despite facing criminal indictments and a 2024 felony conviction, he was re-nominated by the Republican Party. A failed assassination attempt in July 2024, which he survived, galvanized his supporters and transformed his campaign into a symbol of defiance and divine purpose.
While the Trump example may seem extreme, it illustrates a deeper point: for a comeback to succeed, a ‘miracle’ must occur. In some cases, it may be a literal one , surviving a bullet. In others, it requires the meticulous political miracle of reform, coalition-building, and vision, not divine intervention.
The question for CDC and George Weah is not whether miracles are possible , but whether they are willing and capable of building one through strategy, humility, and political discipline.
The Liberian people are not waiting for God to change their government; they are watching for who is willing to do the hard work of earning their trust again. These comebacks required political, not spiritual, miracles: broad coalitions, narrative reinvention, and leadership reform.
CDC’s Road to Redemption
For the CDC, this “miracle of hard work” must begin now, not on election night. The party must:
✅Rebuild grassroots trust
✅ Forge credible coalitions across opposition and disillusioned middle voters
✅ Reform its internal governance and leadership style
Even with all that, yet here lies a paradox. George Weah is the CDC’s greatest asset, and its biggest challenge. He remains a towering figure: loved by many poor Liberians, but distrusted by elites and swing voters who question his openness and his ability to govern in coalition.
As one opposition figure remarked: “Weah stands a chance, but he must open his circle. Liberia is tired of personal governments where only a few enjoy the spoils of power.”(FPA, interview, May 2024).
Another analyst asked bluntly: “Can Weah show he respects coalition governance? Can he show loyalty to those who suffered with him, and not just his inner circle?”(Center for Democratic Dialogue Roundtable, March, 2025)
Boakai’s Stumbles: CDC’s Opening
Ironically, it is the failures of the Boakai government that may offer the CDC its best path back to power.
Even die-hard supporters of the Unity Party are acknowledging its failures and the lack of just governance, especially those who fought to secure its victory. Lasana Kromah, a known Boakai supporter, wrote: “The Unity Party we once knew has betrayed its youthful vanguard.”
Liberians today are witnessing some of the very same flaws that led them to reject the Weah government, and in some cases, worse. As the political scientist Dr. Amos Sawyer once wrote: “In Liberia, victory is not won by the biggest rallies, but by the broadest coalitions and the deepest networks of trust. (Amos Sawyer, Democracy and Renewal in Liberia, 2006).
Today, CDC supporters argue that if Liberians could forgive the Unity Party’s 12 years of past mistakes and vote it back into power, they can do the same for the CDC, especially since many of the UP’s current missteps, including violations of the rule of law, were expected to be avoidable given its experience and far than any mistakes committed by the CDC . But that possibility depends entirely on whether the CDC reforms and regains public trust.
Why Political Comebacks Are Double-Edged Swords
Before celebrating any potential CDC comeback, it is worth remembering that presidential comebacks carry both risks and rewards , for the party, the country, and democracy itself.
Pros and Cons of Presidential Comebacks
✅ PROS
✔ Experienced leadership
Returning presidents know how government works.
→ Lula in Brazil, de Gaulle in France.
✔ Voter legitimacy if won
A comeback victory = strong public mandate.
→ Unity Party’s comeback in Liberia after 6 years.
✔ Chance to correct past mistakes
Comebacks offer a second chance, if lessons are learned.
→ Lula’s second term was more pragmatic.
✔ Political stability
In fragile states, familiar leadership can ease tensions, and focus on national development
→ Charles Taylor’s run post-peace deal in Liberia (though controversial), and knowing from where to start – old projects
❌ CONS
✖ Old political baggage returns
Comebacks often reopen national wounds.
→ Gbagbo’s return in Côte d’Ivoire led to renewed polarization.
✖ Blocks generational change
Old leaders returning may crowd out young talent.
→ Liberia faces this dilemma if Weah blocks younger CDC figures.
✖ Voter fatigue
Citizens may simply be tired of old faces.
→ Weah risks low enthusiasm among silent CDC voters, if he can’t introduce something new
Comebacks succeed when they are “forward-looking and reformist , not when they seek only to vindicate a bruised ego or replay old battles., Steven Levitsky, How Democracies Survive the Comeback Trap (Journal of Democracy, 2023)
To “come back,” CDC and Weah will need more than nostalgia or loyalty from their base.
They must:
✅ Overcome internal divisions and perceptions of exclusion
✅ Build genuine, inclusive alliances
✅ Present a new, credible vision for governance that resonates with a broad cross-section of Liberians
✅ Demonstrate that they have learned from past mistakes and can govern differently
This is the political miracle required, not a spiritual one.
As global political history shows, comebacks happen. But they are built, not prayed for. For CDC and Weah, the clock has already started ticking toward 2029.
