Senator Alli hails Liberians patriotism, condemns Nigeria’s electoral culture

By Alagbe Shenayon On Nov 21, 2023

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Act, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, on Tuesday, commended the patriotism of Liberian citizens, including party agents, in their recently concluded presidential election. He also voiced concerns about the electoral culture in Nigeria.

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During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Senator Alli conveyed his admiration for the confidence exhibited by Liberians as they left polling stations, trusting that the agents would supervise the counting process.

He stated, “I must be honest with you; they (Liberians) are patriotic. In a situation where, after voting, people will just go and you then begin to wonder, asking, ‘Where are you going?’ ‘I am going to my house.’ ‘Are you not going to wait and see the counting?’ ‘My agent is there.’ ‘Are you sure he is not going to compromise?’ Then he says, ‘No problem; I have confidence in him.’”

Drawing a comparison between the Liberian election and Nigerian polls, Senator Alli expressed reservations about the dependability of agents.

He attributed this concern to cultural factors and stressed the necessity for cultural changes.

The senator said, “But here in Nigeria if you don’t look well, your agent is a problem. It’s our culture, and these are some of the things we have to consider. Our culture towards elections, our Electoral Act, and talking to the people. We need to do a lot of letting the government see that we need a different orientation.”

On Monday, Joseph Boakai was officially declared the victor in Liberia’s presidential election by the National Electoral Commission (NEC), surpassing the incumbent George Weah.

Weah had already conceded defeat on Friday evening, based on the results from over 99.98 percent of the polling stations.

Boakai secured the win with 50.64 percent of the vote, while former international football star Weah garnered 49.36 percent, as announced by Davidetta Browne Lansanah, the president of the commission.

The 78-year-old vice president clinched victory with a narrow margin of 20,567 votes.