By J. Ebenezer Daygbor
One contestant collapsed and two prominent lawmakers got the shock and heartbreak when CDC primaries were announced over the weekend. Garblah Williams, who is vice chair for administration of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) had to be rescued by Catholic Hospital doctors when the incumbent Montserrado County Representative Acarous Gray beat him to the primaries.
Williams was overconfident that he would have walloped Rep. Gray, little did he know that CDC was not done with Gray yet. When the results came that Gray had triumphed over Williams, the latter collapsed and was immediately rushed to Catholic Hospital to seek medical attention.
As the CDC second man in administration struggled to resuscitate, the primaries grounds went cold and quiet. As some attributed Williams’ sudden collapsing to his humiliating defeat at the hands of Acarous Gray, Williams claimed he had “serious medical problem prior to the primary”. There was no independent confirmation that Williams had any serious ailment, he did not appear sickly prior to the primary results.
Even worst, Williams did not say what serious sickness he suffered that could have made him to “kick the bucket” at the height of the primaries over the weekend. This is the second time Gray has mercilessly trounced Williams at CDC primary.
But if you think the whipping of Williams and his subsequent collapsing was the only surprises, wait until you hear how two other Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) legislators’ hopes were dashed. Edward Forh and Julius Berrien got the shock and heartbreaks during the just ended primaries of the CDC.
The Two lawmakers got the boots during the hour of decision in the primaries held at the party’s headquarters in Monrovia over the weekend.
In what observers described as CDC’s first ever “transparent, free and fair primaries” voted out Montserrado County Representatives Julius Berrian and Dr. Edward Forh to give way the party’s Vice Chairman for mobilization, Mulbah Morlu. Morlu replaced Rep. Berrian who represents Montserrado County Electoral District #10.
Perhaps the shocking moment came when little known partisan Daniel Sebo grabbed the slot that Dr. Forh occupies representing Electoral District #16. Sebo’s name will now be placed on CDC’s roster for the ensuing 2017 Representatives election scheduled for October 10th this year.
The ceremony was characterized by breath-taking movements for the two sitting lawmakers who could not be believed their hopes were shattered and blown in thin air with the election of new foot soldiers for the CDC. It seems as a shock and owe as the Forh and Berrian walked away from the CDC primaries with a clear message that they are out of jobs.
The primaries was presided over by Youth Wing Chairman Jefferson Koijii and observed by representatives of the student community and members of the Liberian media. If anything, the primaries epitomize the name of the party – change, and change they got.
Though Dr. Forh and Rep. Berrian failed to retain their jobs, another CDC stalwart, Rep. Acarous Gray joins his colleagues, Reps. Munah Youngblood, Solomon George, Dr. Bhofal Chambers, and William Dakel to retain their seats.
The primaries brought on Abraham Corneh formerly of the ruling Unity Party whipped former CDC’s Representative for Electoral District #14 Madam Regina Sokan Teah to capture CDC slot, while Adolph Lawrence, Bill Twehway, and Gabriel Nyenka who newly joined the CDC won their respective seats for the impending elections.
On Wednesday, May 24th the office of the national secretary general and chair of the primaries steering committee of CDC announced the holding of primaries of the party.
The exercise was characterized by a zonal process in the counties as projected by the national executive committee of the CDC.
