MONROVIA – There are reports that the Liberia National Police (LNP) will on Saturday, August 23, 2025 effect the Supreme Court’s order to evict the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) from the intestate estate of Danielle P. Tucker Bernard in Oldest Congotown.
Even though the LNP hasn’t said explicitly that it is going to carry out the court’s order at the place George Weah’s party has occupied since 2005, the force however posted an cryptic message to their Facebook wall.
“Liberia National Police (LNP) informs the public that due to the enforcement of a court eviction order, traffic will be diverted in Monrovia on Saturday, August 23, 2025.
• Vehicles coming from Paynesville will be diverted onto Old Road via Nigeria House.
• Vehicles coming from Central Monrovia (Town) will be diverted onto Old Road via Kailondo Junction.
All motorists and pedestrians are strongly advised to follow police instructions and cooperate with traffic officers on duty.
The LNP urges everyone to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding as we carry out our constitutional duties in service to the public and the rule of law.”
Background
Back in May 2025, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its 2016 judgment ordering the removal of the CDC from that disputed piece of land hosting its headquarters. The Court dismissed a Bill of Information filed by the party and declared its legal strategy to delay the eviction as “preposterous,” “impermissible,” and a “legal charade.”
The legal wrangling over the land began when the Intestate Estate of Martha Stubblefield Bernard, represented by administrator Ebrima Varney Dempster, filed an action of ejectment in 2014 against the Intestate Estate of William Thomas Bernard, and the CDC, then a tenant on the property. In 2016, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling ordering the CDC and the 2nd respondent estate evicted.
However, enforcement of the ruling stalled allegedly due to political interference, including the appointment of the estate’s former counsel, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean, as Minister of Justice. It wasn’t until 2024 that the 1st respondent hired new counsel and resumed efforts to enforce the 2016 judgment.
To stall eviction, CDC entered into negotiations with the Stubblefield Estate to purchase the land. As part of those talks, CDC paid a total of US$360,000 in rental arrears for 2018 to 2023 and also settled court costs. According to the Court, those payments constituted “an implied enforcement” of the judgment and thereby established a landlord-tenant relationship.
Police-CDC History
The LNP’s traffic warning for Saturday comes in the wake of the history between it and that of partisans of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC). This relationship has never been rosy especially when the party is in opposition.
Throughout the 12-year reign of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her Unity Party, there was always clashes between CDCians and the police force. The clashes stopped during Weah’s 6-year reign as President from 2018 to January 22nd, 2024. They spiked again in the first year of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s Unity Party-led Administration. In August 2024, there was a clash between party’s partisans and the police.
And since then, there have always been tension in the air with open threats coming from senior partisans of the party, which is inarguably the largest opposition party. They have defiantly stated that no one can evict them from their headquarters.
