By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Paynesville, Liberia, January 22, 2026— The debate over whether President Joseph Nyuma Boakai will appear on the ballot in the 2029 presidential and legislative elections has intensified, even within government circles, amid growing speculation about succession and age.
Some political actors have already begun floating Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung as a possible replacement for President Boakai, citing age and health concerns.
However, Liberia’s Ambassador-at-Large, Sheikh Moustapha Kouyateh, has forcefully entered the discussion, warning that President Boakai’s absence from the 2029 race could plunge the country back into instability.
In his appearance on the state-owned broadcaster ELBC morning show on Thursday, January 22, 2026, Ambassador Kouyateh said there is a growing perception within government that President Boakai intends to serve only one term, a mindset he believes is dangerously short-sighted.
According to Kouyateh, while many in government are focused on the next election, President Boakai himself is more concerned about the next generation. Still, he insisted that the President must clearly declare his intention to contest in 2029 to avoid political uncertainty.
“I pray that God will give President Boakai strength and long life that he will contest, but if he doesn’t contest comes 2029, Liberia will turn into a state of chaos,” Ambassador Kouyateh stated.
He added that, both inside and outside government, he sees no figure currently capable of convincingly leading the country forward, arguing that President Boakai remains the only viable option to sustain the reform agenda.
“When I look in government and outside government, I don’t find anyone that is convincing and means well for the country and its people,” he said, maintaining that “the only person that can continue the legacy of President Boakai in 2029 is Boakai himself.”
Kouyateh further warned of serious consequences if the President’s leadership is interrupted, noting, “If we don’t support him in 2029 to continue the work he has started, Liberia will reverse aggressively,” he stressed.
President Boakai, for his part, has consistently said that his administration’s priority is addressing Liberia’s immediate challenges and laying a solid foundation for long-term national development. Amid persistent speculation over a possible second term, the President has remained noncommittal, emphasizing that his focus is firmly on governing in the present.
On November 30, 2025, President Boakai marked his 81st birthday, an occasion celebrated nationwide with tributes highlighting his decades of public service. Messages of goodwill came from across Liberian society and international partners, including the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, which praised his commitment to education and national development.
If President Boakai were to seek re-election, he would be 85 years old in 2029, when Liberians are scheduled to return to the polls.
During the heated 2023 election season, negotiations around the Unity Party’s vice-presidential slot fueled rumors that, due to age, Boakai would serve only a single term, positioning his vice president as the party’s likely standard-bearer in 2029.
Since taking office, the President’s health and physical condition have attracted both concern and admiration. While some observers raise questions about his stamina, others cite his resilience and draw comparisons with long-serving African leaders, arguing that he remains capable of another term.
Liberia’s 2023 general and presidential elections went to a run-off after no candidate secured an outright majority in the first round. The National Elections Commission declared Boakai winner with 50.64 percent of the vote against former President George Manneh Weah’s 49.36 percent, a margin of about 20,567 votes.
With the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and the Unity Party (UP) still dominating Liberia’s political landscape, many analysts believe that President Boakai’s absence from the 2029 race could create an opening for Weah to reclaim the presidency, given the lack of a clearly dominant alternative contender.
Despite the growing political chatter, President Boakai has yet to signal whether he will seek another term, leaving the question of 2029 wide open. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
