By: Julius Konton
Grand Gedeh County long regarded as one of the most reliable strongholds of Liberia’s opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) has been thrust into political turmoil following controversial remarks by Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue praising the performance of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration.
Pennue’s comments, delivered during a recent engagement with his constituents, have triggered fierce backlash from opposition figures, reigniting an old but unresolved debate in Liberian politics:
Should loyalty to party outweigh tangible delivery to the people?
A Surprising Admission in a Polarized Landscape
In a county where electoral loyalty has historically leaned heavily toward the CDC since the party’s rise to power in 2005,
Pennue’s public acknowledgment stunned both allies and critics alike.
“I never voted for Boakai in 2023. I voted CDC, I have it in my phone,” Pennue told residents. “But Boakai surprised me.”
The senator cited ongoing road rehabilitation works in southeastern Liberia particularly in Grand Gedeh as evidence of meaningful governance.
According to him, roads once notorious for being impassable for much of the year are now motorable, easing transportation and reducing the cost of basic commodities.
“Transportation prices have gone down. Rice and gasoline are cheaper. This is the kind of life I want my people to live,” he said.
Infrastructure as Political Currency
The southeastern region, especially Grand Gedeh, has historically suffered from chronic infrastructure neglect.
During the rainy season, road conditions often cut off communities, driving up food prices by as much as 30–50 percent, according to past market surveys by civil society groups.
Pennue’s remarks suggest that recent improvements however limited are already having measurable economic effects, particularly in market access and commodity pricing.
Yet in Liberia’s hyper-partisan political environment, praise for a rival administration is often treated not as pragmatism but as betrayal.
CDC Strikes Back: ‘A Trail of Broken Promises’
The sharpest rebuke came from Randall Dobayou, a senior CDC figure and fellow son of Grand Gedeh County, who accused Pennue of political opportunism and chronic nonperformance.
“Let’s be clear, Zoe Pennue is not credible,” Dobayou declared. “His legacy is a trail of broken promises.”
Dobayou catalogued a series of unfulfilled commitments allegedly made by the senator:
A 100-bedroom dormitory for Grand Gedeh Community College, promised in 2017 with zero progress to date.
A 75-bedroom dormitory for the School of Midwifery, announced in 2020, no land secured, no foundation laid.
A pledged old-folks home, which Dobayou claims has never moved beyond rhetoric.
Promised air conditioners for the AG Church in Zwedru, which, according to him, were never delivered.
“The only thing that got cold,” Dobayou remarked sarcastically, “is the congregation’s faith in their senator.”
‘Cow Politics’ and the Old Order
In perhaps the most biting section of his response, Dobayou accused Pennue of surviving politically through what he described as “old-fashioned, cash-induced and cow-slaughtering politics”, a reference to traditional patronage practices still prevalent in rural Liberia.
“He latches onto every sitting president,” Dobayou said. “That tired tactic belongs to a bygone era.”
He went further, warning voters not to re-elect Pennue and vowing that the CDC would expose what he called “every last lie.”
Silence From the Senator, Noise From the Streets
As of publication, Senator Pennue has not responded to the allegations.
However, his original remarks continue to reverberate across Grand Gedeh, where public opinion appears sharply divided.
Some residents see his comments as honesty rarely displayed by Liberian politicians; others view them as political heresy in a county whose voting history has overwhelmingly favored the CDC.
Data from the National Elections Commission (NEC) shows that since 2005, CDC candidates have consistently secured commanding margins in Grand Gedeh often exceeding 60 percent of the vote in national elections.
That dominance, however, may now be under threat.
2029: A Political Earthquake in the Making?
With road construction increasingly shaping political narratives nationwide, Pennue’s comments raise uncomfortable questions for the opposition: Can party loyalty survive when development real or perceived begins to reach neglected regions?
Analysts say Grand Gedeh could become a bellwether county ahead of the 2029 elections, shifting from a CDC fortress into a fiercely contested battleground.
What is clear is that voters are growing impatient with promises unbacked by results.
As one local trader in Zwedru put it bluntly:
“We can’t eat promises. Roads bring business.”
Delivery Versus Allegiance
At the heart of the controversy lies a broader national reckoning: Is political credibility earned through loyalty to party banners or through visible improvement in people’s daily lives?
For Senator Pennue, the gamble is clear. By publicly praising a rival administration, he has ignited a firestorm that could either redefine his legacy or end his political career.
For Grand Gedeh, the question is even larger: Is this the beginning of the end of opposition dominance, or merely a temporary fracture in a long-standing political identity?
One thing is certain, the era of unquestioned political loyalty in Grand Gedeh is being tested like never before.
