President Weah and Boakai

Abubakar Hashim, Monrovia

As 99.6% of total processed votes released today by NEC, incumbent President Weah narrowly leads with 43.79%, against his arch challenger, Boakai, with 43.49%.

Never in the 175 -year electoral history of Africa’s oldest nation has there been so tight, neck and neck, presidential race.

The run-off will be conducted in two weeks. A robust horse trading with the other 18 contestants in the race at run-off stage has already commenced. Strategic meetings are quietly taking place on the sidelines of vote counting, followed with nurctunal meetings.

With this marginal lead, the Weah camp has commenced intense political rapprochement, as it sounds as a wake up call to the marginal lead in the first ballot.

Liberians have voted in a rational manner, devoid of ethnic or tribal sentiments.

The run-off will be an intense battle between the once football star, Weah and the “Papay”, Boakai, who was VP for 12 years under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf