By Taa Wongbe (Representative, Nimba County)
As always, some feelings might get bruised, but let’s be honest, if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be inconvenient, now, would they?
- The President and his administration are facing a governance, “bread and butter”, and trust conundrum
The singer was right – the President is moving “Lepe Lepe.” But Liberia does not need “Lepe Lepe” or cosmetic transformation at this moment. Yes, there are visible activities, some positive indicators, rice and fuel prices are down, and there have been some international wins. Yet most Liberians are still not feeling the “Lepe Lepe” because of “bread and butter” issues.
People are suffering; no real jobs, limited opportunities, and an informal sector that is starving. Lower prices without income don’t relieve suffering, and statistics don’t put food on the table.
Worse, the Unity Party won but is governing like an opposition; party and government officials’ leaders are fighting and insulting citizens online and offline, arrogantly attempting to cajole the entire nation into believing progress.
Compounding all of this is eroding trust driven by corruption and unanswered questions around the Presidential Villa project in Foya…no hay, no tay.
- The NGO economy is collapsing, and this administration is unprepared
For decades, Liberia’s economy has been driven by the NGO-industrial complex, and we all benefited, but with USAID’s scale-back and deep global aid cuts, the “soft dollars” that sustained rentals, supermarkets, transport, hospitality, and largely soften the bread-and-butter issues are drying up. The inconvenient truth is this administration has no credible Plan B. From maids and drivers to program officers and small businesses, people are feeling the pinch, and the administration is neither financially nor mentally prepared to replace donor spending.
- The Legislature is a BIG mess and has become a national embarrassment
From the Speaker crisis to rushed bills, self-interest, and open factionalism, to now the Speaker’s domestic issues, the Legislature has lost moral authority. What should be a noble institution is steadily eroding its relevance.
From a Speaker who denigrates the press, dances in front of the President, and now being dogged by his domestic challenges, to a Deputy Speaker desperately trying to secure his place in the inner circle of the President and the Executive, to members thirsty and titillating at the prospect of another budget or instrument, the Legislature has drifted to an institution focused on self, not service.
- Liberians are craving the “Third Lane,” but the opposition is relatively DEAD
The era of the UP–CDC two-party hegemony is ending slowly, but only if a credible Third Lane emerges. Right now, the opposition is dead.
Liberians are no longer shopping for the lesser of two evils. A Third Lane candidate could rise, but the opposition remains fragmented and traumatized by the CPP experience with no evidence of collaboration. Musa Bility is testing the space.
Many still see Cummings as the most viable and credible option but also view him as stuck in a wait-and-see mode, with time working against him. Elections are not won in election years. If no credible alternative is visible by the end of 2026 or early 2027, voters will default to UP or CDC again.
- Gen Z is the new quiet majority; and it’s restless and leaderless
With potentially over 600,000 registered youth voters in 2029, and more than 40% of the population under 18, young people are no longer a support bloc or a wing in a party, they are the electorate. Yet they remain largely leaderless.
In 2026, youth-led movements will organize around opportunities, economic exclusion, and bread and butter issues, not party loyalty. The Bring Our Data Back campaign was just a rehearsal. Youth are no longer protesting for democracy; they are protesting for opportunities and what’s right. And youth energy without structure or leadership is combustible.
- The diaspora is politically loud but structurally weak…unless it reorganizes
For years, remittances and social media gave the diaspora outsized influence. That leverage is fading.
People on the ground are increasingly resentful of “checkbook politics” and moral lectures from abroad; “…if you want school fees, you must vote like this.” Without sustained ground operations, visible collaborations or joint impact ventures, and a more grounded narrative around remittances, the diaspora remains commentary, not consequence.
- Tribal and ethnic mathematics is quietly replacing ideology
Political coalitions are forming around counties and regions with numbers, tribes, and dialects, not policy, competence, or vision.
A growing North Central narrative (Nimba, Bong, Lofa, and even Margibi) argues that it is “our turn,” after years of presidential dominance by the southeast and smaller counties. Beyond population, many of these North Central counties vote along tribal sentiment and believe leadership should now reflect their numbers and deliver development accordingly. This logic may win elections, but it lowers expectations and weakens accountability.
- Nimba remains decisive, but no longer controllable by one political godfather
The era of a single Kingmaker in Nimba is over – for now. While the Vice President still commands a firm bloc, Nimba is no longer a monolithic vote bank to be “delivered” by a singular individual for now.
The county is becoming a competitive space of interests and influencers. Early tensions between Senator Kogar and the Vice President could also further accelerate this fragmentation, but don’t be deceived though; Nimba will always support its sons and daughters.
- 2026 will feel like 2028
People are already behaving as if elections are tomorrow. Expect the political temperature to rise sharply in 2026.
The Unity Party is helping fuel this climate, with ministers and government leaders insulting citizens, arguing publicly, and behaving like an opposition that lost. That behavior hardens positions, mobilizes opponents, and pushes the country into early campaign mode.
- Former President George Weah remains popular, but the CDC is trapped in a fantasy about its record
Liberians have already tasted CDC governance, and it was a bit sour. Yet there has been no serious self-reflection, no reckoning, and no meaningful re-strategizing. Instead, the party’s default approach is to attack the Boakai administration and hope frustration rewrites history. That strategy is weak and unconvincing, especially when some of the loudest voices now are individuals who abused state power so badly that they ended up sanctioned by the U.S. yet now feel entitled to lecture the nation on governance. The nerve.
As always, these are my politically inconvenient truths. If you agree with some and disagree with others, dah aye.
See you in 2026. Happy 2026, folks. Stay blessed, and long live Liberia.
