— Says He Was Misled During 2023 Elections, Describes Boakai as “Genuine and Gracious”
MONROVIA – Prominent Liberian talk show host and political commentator Henry Pedro Costa has publicly acknowledged what he described as a “wrong decision” to part ways with now President Joseph Nyuma Boakai during the heat of the 2023 Presidential Elections — admitting that while his political party, the All-Liberian Party (ALP), influenced the move, he takes “full responsibility” for how it unfolded.
Appearing on Spoon Talk’s Sunday night segment “One on One with the CEO” hosted by Stanton A. Witherspoon, Costa spoke extensively about his political journey, his reconciliation with President Boakai, and his feelings about the events leading up to the ALP’s controversial breakaway from the Unity Party alliance.
“Everybody knows what happened in the 11th hour of the 2023 elections. I made a decision in the 11th hour, and I take responsibility for it,” Costa said. “Even though it was a party decision, the way I went about implementing it was unacceptable, and I felt I had wronged him.”
Costa said he later reached out to President Boakai repeatedly and that the President responded with grace and forgiveness.
“The President was very magnanimous, very gracious… He really stunned me in a pleasant way with how he accepted me back. It’s just a beautiful thing,” he noted.
The Rift Within the Alliance
Costa traced the rift to internal grievances within the Unity Party (UP) camp during the 2023 elections, alleging that certain elements “treated [the ALP] very badly” despite their strong early support for Boakai.
“We were the biggest supporters of JNB, and we felt aggrieved because of the way some people treated us,” he recounted. “People poisoned the water and pushed us outside. My reaction was what people looked at — not how we were treated.”
Costa explained that while he was personally hurt by the treatment he received, his political leader, Benoni Urey, and the ALP decided to stay neutral in the first round of the elections but were later persuaded by some party members to support then-President George Weah’s CDC in the runoff — a decision Costa now regrets.
“That decision in the end was not mine. I went along with it, but I should not have done it,” Costa admitted. “Looking back today, I should have said no. I was hurt, but that doesn’t excuse my reaction.”
Clarifying the VP Speculation
Addressing widespread claims that he had been upset over not being chosen as Boakai’s running mate, Costa dismissed the rumor outright.
“That was not what caused the problem,” he clarified. “I was running for the Senate at the time. Somehow, I got drifted into this whole running mate thing, but I was okay with running for Senate. Our issue was how we were treated — not who Boakai picked as vice president.”
Costa, in a rare moment of political introspection, even praised Boakai’s decision to select Jeremiah Koung as his running mate.
“It was a strategic, brilliant decision,” Costa said. “If Boakai had picked me, we would have almost certainly lost. Nimba’s votes were crucial to offset the Southeast — that’s why he’s president today.”
‘They Said I Wanted to Kill Him’
In one of the interview’s most emotional moments, Costa recalled being devastated by rumors that reached Boakai suggesting he intended to harm him.
“They said I was planning to kill him, that I was operating for CDC. Those were horrible things,” Costa lamented. “I love this man deeply. I cooked for him. I drove him. How could I be a threat to him?”
He said those false accusations made him withdraw from active engagement with Boakai during the campaign period.
Rebuilding Trust
Costa said both he and President Boakai have since mended their relationship, and even hinted that the President and his party leader, Benoni Urey, have also spoken “on a number of occasions.”
He praised Boakai’s character, calling him “a decent human being” with “no bone of malice.”
“This is not a man that holds malice,” Costa said. “He called Urey back just 45 minutes after losing signal on a WhatsApp call — that’s how genuine he is.”
Costa’s Political Identity
When asked whether the All-Liberian Party now supports the Boakai administration, Costa was cautious.
“I cannot speak for the party,” he said. “I hold no position. ALP is not Henry Costa, and Henry Costa is not ALP — I’m not the leader. I was the voice of the Boakai movement for five years, not because I was ALP, but because I believed in him.”
Background:
Henry Pedro Costa, one of Liberia’s most influential political commentators, rose to prominence through The Costa Show, a fiery talk platform known for its critiques of corruption and government excess. A strong ally of Joseph Boakai during his opposition years, Costa became a controversial figure in 2023 when his party sided with the CDC in the election runoff — a move that shocked many of his supporters. His recent public appearance signals an effort to rebuild bridges within Liberia’s political landscape.
