–ANC Political Leader Says Liberians Should Wish Boakai Administration Well, Even as Opposition Prepares for 2029
MONROVIA, Liberia — Alternative National Congress (ANC) Political Leader Alexander B. Cummings has called on Liberians to pray for President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and his administration, arguing that the President’s success should be viewed through its potential impact on the suffering of ordinary Liberians rather than partisan political interests.
Cummings made the appeal while speaking to congregants at New Water in the Desert Pentecostal Church in Brewerville City, outside Monrovia, on Sunday, September 6th during the church’s divine worship service.
The opposition leader said political competition should not lead Liberians or political leaders to wish failure upon the government.
“Let’s seriously, let’s pray for President Boakai. Let’s pray for his administration.”
Cummings immediately explained the reasoning behind his appeal.
“Because if he is successful, that means his suffering is going down. And we want the suffering of our people to be less.”
He said Liberians should not wish the administration harm simply because they disagree with the President politically.
“Nobody should wish anybody ill, or we shouldn’t wish the current administration anything but success.”
“If It Makes You Happy, Replace Them”
Cummings’ remarks did not amount to an endorsement of the Boakai administration. Rather, he framed political leadership as a responsibility to the country that should transcend personal and partisan rivalry.
He told congregants that Liberia’s leaders should focus on the country rather than attacking one another.
“But it’s also incumbent upon us leaders to focus on the country, not on each other.”
He then offered a blunt formulation of the relationship between political competition and national interest:
“If it makes you happy, replace them.”
But until that political contest takes place, he said Liberians should want the government to succeed because government failure ultimately affects the population.
“All of us have to work hard to make Liberia better,” Cummings said.
Opposition Can Challenge Government Without Wishing It Failure
The comments align with Cummings’ broader argument, made separately to journalists after the church service, that opposition parties should hold government accountable while also proposing solutions.
He told reporters that political leaders should not criticize simply for the sake of opposing the government.
“We all should be not just criticizing because we can and should hold the government accountable, but we should also offer solutions.”
Cummings said opposition leaders should provide alternatives and encourage government to adopt proposals that can improve the lives of Liberians.
The position places his latest comments within a broader argument for what he describes as constructive political competition.
Message Comes as Opposition Regroups
Cummings’ call for prayers for Boakai comes at a politically significant moment, with opposition parties again discussing cooperation ahead of the 2029 elections.
Former President George Manneh Weah recently convened opposition leaders for discussions aimed at exploring greater coordination. The parties have agreed to work toward a joint structure, but have not announced a common presidential ticket or settled who would lead any eventual electoral alliance.
Cummings has separately said that the collapse of the former Collaborating Political Parties should not prevent opposition leaders from trying again.
He has urged political actors to learn from past failures while becoming “smarter” and “wiser” in any future collaboration.
His church remarks therefore add another dimension to his political message: opposition to a government does not necessarily require wishing it failure.
“Let’s Hope He Does the Best Thing for Liberia”
Cummings concluded his church remarks by asking Liberians to pray not only for President Boakai personally but also for his government.
“So let’s pray for our President, let’s pray for his government, and let’s hope he does the best thing for Liberia.”
He ended with a prayer for the country:
“God bless Liberia.”
The comments are likely to draw attention as Liberia’s political actors increasingly look toward 2029 while President Boakai remains in the middle of his first term.
For Cummings, however, the immediate concern expressed at the church was not the next election but the welfare of Liberians.
His message was that political leaders can compete, criticize and eventually seek to replace one another — but should not hope for failure when that failure would deepen the hardship of the people they seek to lead.
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