Monrovia – Tensions are escalating throughout the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) as a public dispute between two of its high-ranking members, Randall Massaquoi Dobayou II and Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala, brings inner divisions to the forefront.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
Dobayou, who serves as CDC’s Nationwide Deputy Secretary Common for Information and Analysis and beforehand held the place of Deputy Govt Director on the Environmental Safety Company (EPA), has publicly accused Cllr. Gbala of political opportunism.
Utilizing his Fb platform, Dobayou branded Gbala a practitioner of “stomach-infrastructure politics” — a phrase implying private ambition over principled ideology.
“Fish swimming in water isn’t information. When a canine makes use of household planning, that’s information. Cllr. Kanio Bai flapping for abdomen infrastructure isn’t information. When he stands for one thing, then that’s the information,” Dobayou posted in response to Gbala’s latest reward of President Joseph Boakai.
He additional alleged that Gbala, who chairs CDC’s Coverage Response Committee, is leveraging the CDC model to construct his personal political capital whereas subtly aligning with the ruling Unity Get together.
In one other sharp critique posted on June 28, Dobayou wrote, “UP now need the stomach-migrant to go away CDC. They need him to be an inside dealer whereas he makes use of CDC to extend his political capital as a survivor ‘realist’.
Dobayou additionally questioned Gbala’s contributions to the celebration’s mental and coverage improvement, claiming he has authored no coverage papers and barely used inner celebration boards to boost his views.
He accused Gbala of being performative, citing his reward for President Boakai’s choice to rebury former President Samuel Ok. Doe as politically self-serving.
In response, Cllr. Gbala defended his political posture and reaffirmed his dedication to the CDC. Nevertheless, he maintained that good governance should be acknowledged throughout celebration traces.
“As a bonafide CDCian and in my very own title, if and when JNB does what is true for Liberia, I’ll vigorously acknowledge it. Might the insults proceed,” Gbala acknowledged on Fb.
Gbala known as President Boakai’s reburial of the previous president a laudable transfer geared toward nationwide therapeutic and reconciliation. “Might we proceed this dialog – not as rivals of reminiscence, however as co-authors of a extra simply and unified Liberia,” he wrote.
He additionally raised questions on latest strategic selections made throughout the CDC, notably what he described because the sidelining of Consultant Thomas Fallah in favor of former Home Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. “Did our celebration, the CDC, politically sabotage itself by sacrificing Fallah for Koffa?” he questioned in one other Fb publish.
Political observers have interpreted the general public change between the 2 males as emblematic of a wider identification battle throughout the CDC. On one aspect are celebration traditionalists like Dobayou, demanding strict loyalty and a united entrance; on the opposite are moderates like Gbala, advocating for coverage introspection and a willingness to commend rival management when warranted.
