-JNB Declares “Liberia Is on the Move” as NIMBO Formally Begins Reelection Push
CONGOTOWN, Monrovia — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on Sunday, May 24, joined Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah to officially launch and break ground for the National Independent Movement for Boakai (NIMBO), a new political movement aimed at mobilizing grassroots support for Boakai’s anticipated reelection bid.
The event, held amid heavy rains and attended by lawmakers, cabinet ministers, traditional leaders, Unity Party officials, and supporters from across the country, quickly evolved into a powerful political show of force highlighting the growing alliance between President Boakai and one of the country’s most influential political figures from the former ruling establishment.
NIMBO, which stands for National Independent Movement for Boakai, is being positioned by organizers as a broad-based national political platform intended to rally support for the President beyond traditional party lines ahead of the next electoral cycle.
The movement is widely viewed by political observers as particularly significant because of the central role being played by Deputy Speaker Fallah, a longtime political heavyweight who previously served as a key ally of former President George Weah and the Coalition/Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
Boakai Signals Confidence in Development Agenda
Speaking during the launch, President Boakai used the occasion to defend his administration’s development agenda while projecting strong optimism about Liberia’s future.
“Liberia is on the move,” the President declared repeatedly to loud applause from supporters.
Boakai pointed to ongoing road construction projects, youth empowerment initiatives, electricity expansion efforts, and planned investments in sports, aviation, and technology as evidence that his government is beginning to transform the country.
“Today, Liberians are beginning to see their country as they should have it,” the President said. “This country has all the goods for them, and with this kind of support, the sky is the limit for what we’re going to do for this country.”
The Liberian leader highlighted several flagship initiatives, including the proposed Youth Entrepreneur Bank, football academies planned for Grand Cape Mount and Bong Counties, ongoing road rehabilitation projects across the southeast and northern Liberia, and efforts to revive domestic airline operations.
He also referenced plans to improve electricity access and local industrial production.
“We’re going to have to manufacture our own transformers here,” Boakai stated. “Liberia is going to have what is for Liberia and for your future.”
“It’s Not About the Next Election — It’s About the Next Generation”
Although the launch centered around a reelection movement, President Boakai attempted to frame the gathering less as partisan politics and more as a national development effort.
“It’s not too much about the next election,” he declared. “It’s about the next generation.”
Throughout his remarks, the President repeatedly appealed for unity, patriotism, and collective national responsibility, urging Liberians to place country above political divisions.
“This is about this country,” Boakai said. “We are not talking about politics. We’re talking about building lives.”
He also criticized what he described as negativity and self-defeating attitudes among some Liberians who constantly undermine national progress.
“Some people believe nothing good will happen unless they do it,” he stated. “But when you give them the chance to do it, they can’t do it.”
In one of the more memorable lines of the speech, Boakai revived an analogy he frequently used during the 2023 campaign.
“When we were running for presidency, people asked what are you going to do as president that you couldn’t do as vice president?” he recalled. “And I said, if you want to see a race car, put it on the racetrack — not in the garage.”
Thomas Fallah’s Political Realignment Draws Attention
The launch also underscored the increasingly important political role of Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah within the Boakai administration’s broader political calculations.
Once considered one of the strongest loyalists of former President George Weah, Fallah’s visible alignment with Boakai has become one of the most talked-about political developments within Liberia’s shifting political landscape.
President Boakai openly praised Fallah during the event, describing him as a committed patriot who has consistently prioritized national interest over political division.
“Tom has not in one single time gone the other way,” Boakai said. “This is about this country.”
Political analysts believe Fallah’s involvement in NIMBO could significantly influence grassroots political dynamics, especially within Montserrado and Lofa Counties where he maintains strong political networks and influence.
The Deputy Speaker’s support may also help Boakai expand his coalition beyond the traditional base of the Unity Party as political realignments continue ahead of future elections.
NIMBO’s Emerging Political Significance
Although relatively new, NIMBO is already attracting attention as a potentially influential pro-Boakai political structure outside the formal Unity Party hierarchy.
Organizers describe the movement as a national citizens-driven platform focused on supporting Boakai’s development agenda while mobilizing independent voters, youth groups, grassroots communities, and non-traditional political actors.
Observers note that the movement’s branding around “independence” may also be strategically designed to attract Liberians frustrated with traditional partisan politics while broadening support for the President’s administration.
The movement’s emergence comes at a time when Liberia’s political atmosphere is gradually heating up despite the country still being years away from the next presidential elections.
A Ceremony Filled With Political Symbolism
The event itself carried strong symbolic overtones.
At one point, President Boakai presented white kola nuts during the ceremony as a symbolic gesture of unity, cooperation, and shared national purpose.
The President also used the occasion to celebrate Deputy Speaker Fallah’s birthday, describing the NIMBO launch as “one of the best birthday gifts.”
Traditional music, community performances, and chants from supporters filled the gathering as political leaders emphasized themes of unity, development, patriotism, and national transformation.
As the ceremony concluded, Boakai delivered what many supporters viewed as the central message of the day:
“We are here to open our arms to everybody,” the President declared. “We’re not talking about politics. We’re talking about building lives.”
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