Liberia: Rejected by NUDP; Prince Johnson Vows to Crash Party Convention with 150 Bodyguards

Johnson says he will march on Buchanan with 150 bodyguards

Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson has dared any member of the National Union for Democratic Progress (NUDP) to attempt barring him from participating in that opposition party’s convention slated for this weekend in the port city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.

Senator Johnson and officials of the NUDP yesterday locked horns in a war of words when Eric Gbemie and Meddricks Gontee bluntly stated that the Senator would be wasting his time attending the convention because he would be an uninvited guest there.

Appearing on a local talk show yesterday, Gbemie said Senator Johnson would be denied any meaningful participation and will not command any respect [he once enjoyed as the party’s political leader] from partisans during the convention because he is no longer a member of the party.

“He is not invited because he is no longer a member of the NUDP,” Gbemie insisted.

Buttressing Gbemie’s point was Meddricks Gontee, who called on the show and registered that “Senator Johnson is not man enough to attend the convention because he is not accredited to be there. He is not invited because he is not a member of the party.”

But sounding rather undeterred, Senator insisted on delivering opening remarks during the June 28 to 30, 2013 convention in Buchanan, in his capacity as the party’s head. He dared anyone to stop him.

“I am a man of peace but if you bring me trouble, I will teach you sense. If you don’t give me an accreditation, you will show reasons why because I am the head of the party. And any attempt to throw me out of the convention hall by anyone, it will be that person being thrown out,” he declared.

Senator Johnson further added that once in Buchanan, he will head straight to the county’s superintendent and judicial authorities of Grand Bassa to let them know of his presence in the county “so that in case of anything, they can come to my rescue.”

“I am going to that convention with 150 strong and able guys. People feel they can say and do just anything because of the fact that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has no political prisoners in this country. So, for me, I am taking no chances,” he said. “They want to eliminate me and I will not stand for it. I will have my 150 strong and able guys there to protect me.”

Infighting within the party has been ongoing for some time now. In May 2013, the Nimba County Senator announced his decision to quit the National Union for Democratic Progress (NUDP), a decision that was wholeheartedly welcomed by the party. Announcing his exit from the party, Senator Johnson bragged of being the most popular figure of the party. He told a news conference in Monrovia that he remains confident his supporters will follow him to whichever party he may join in the future. But the NUDP reacted sharply to this, arguing that it remains stronger than ever before.

But it only took Senator Johnson few weeks to call on the public to discard his decision to quit the party he founded during the race for the presidency in 2011 – the NUDP came third in those general and presidential elections. He said his abrupt decision to quit the party was only a strategy meant to test the public’s sentiment and study how the public’s reaction would have been to news of his departure from the NUDP.

 But making a comeback to the party has not been that so smooth for him. Authorities of the party have put up a stiff fight to prevent his comeback, despite his continual announcement that he maintains the political leadership of the party and would run as its torchbearer in the 2017 general and presidential elections.

“I remain the political leader of the NUDP and will run as the standard-bearer of the NUDP in 2017,” he said.