[AFRICANEWS] 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.A declaration acclaimed by several citizens of Africa’s oldest republic.
"I am so happy that the president accepted his defeat because he knew very well that he never did good. And now he wants to prove to the Liberians that he loves them by accepting it because if he doesn’t accept it, we will go back to war, and we don’t want to go back there," said Patience Quiah, a nursing student.
"I know by the grace of God he will work very hard to bring a change to Liberia because he said it, he wants to put Liberia on the map of the (other) nations, he wants to put Liberia on the map, that the right thing will be done in this country contrary to those things that have been happening that were not right," added Amos Harris, heavy-duty driver.
"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".
The 78-year-old Boakai lost to Weah, 57, by a large margin in the second-round presidential vote in 2017.
With more than 99.5 percent of the polling stations reporting vote tallies after Tuesday's second-round vote, Boakai had garnered 50.89 percent of ballots cast, according to the election commission.
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