By Benjamin Q. Z. Johnson
MONROVIA–Former President George Manneh Weah’s Thursday visit to former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor at the Monrovia Central Prison was not just one of formality, as it also marked by chillingly eventful moments when dozens of citizens who swarmed the external court of the detention facility chanted pro-Weah slogans, including “papay sorry, we made mistake; we don’t want Boakai.”
The expression is a reflection of what happened in the 2023 elections when the former president lost to current president Joseph Boakai in a razor-tin results of about 17,000 votes difference.
Those following developments say it is not the first time Liberians come out in their numbers and chanted “we are sorry; we made a mistake,” for the former head of state. According to them, yesterday’s expression marked what appears to be a consistent shift of events towards the former president.
Liberians in their numbers trooped to the facility hours before Weah’s arrival as security officers on assignment struggled to contain swelling number of citizens.
Social media footages showed scenes of confrontations between security personnel and elements of the crowd on one hand, while some members of Weah’s security details were also in shop-push situation with officers on duty.Thursday’s visit by the former President to his former vice president followed a day after he arrived in the country on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor was arrested by the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Justice, at the Roberts International Airport while she was reportedly en route to Ghana to attend the All-Africa Conference in Accra.
A day after her arrest, the Ministry of Justice forwarded multiple criminal charges against the former Vice President to court, including alleged drug trafficking and money laundering. Howard-Taylor has denied the allegations.
While in Nigeria as a guest of the Nigerian Bar Association, former President Weah described the charges against his former Vice President as “bogus,” arguing that they were politically motivated.
The former President alleged that the charges were part of what he described as an attempt by the Unity Party-led government to silence key opposition figures and weaken the political opposition ahead of the 2029 elections.
Upon his return to Liberia on Wednesday, September 2, former President Weah was greeted by a large crowd of supporters at the Roberts International Airport.
During a media engagement at the Rehab Residence along the Roberts International Airport Highway, the former Liberian leader accused the Boakai-Koung administration of undermining the rule of law and democracy.
Weah called on Liberians to join the opposition in resisting what he described as government actions aimed at silencing opposition voices.
The former President subsequently announced plans to visit the Monrovia Central Prison to see former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, who is currently being held pending court proceedings.
On Thursday, supporters gathered around the Monrovia Central Prison as Weah visited Howard-Taylor. Some were seen celebrating and chanting slogans in support of the former President, including: “Papa, sorry, we made a mistake. We want Weah! We don’t want Boakai!”
About The Author
