Published: October 20, 2025
MONROVIA – With renewed political fervor and fiery rhetoric, former Liberian President George Manneh Weah on Saturday led the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in breaking ground for its new national headquarters in Monrovia, transforming what might have been a party rebuilding exercise into a bold statement of political defiance and resurgence.
Before a sea of blue-clad supporters chanting slogans of loyalty and hope, Weah, whose charisma continues to command a large following despite his 2023 electoral defeat, declared, “They break, we build. We lead, they follow.”
The statement, greeted with thunderous applause, was a clear jab at the Unity Party (UP)-led government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, which Weah accused of targeting his party through politically motivated actions.
From Eviction to Renewal
This first of its kind in the country’s recent political history, especially since the end of the civil war in 2003, and the subsequent resumption of democracy, the CDC’s ground breaking was not just a mere act of showmanship intended for rejuvenation but a breakaway from perpetual lease of properties owned by people who usual throw political parties outside by legal means which many describe as a politically influenced machination.
Saturday’s groundbreaking marks a symbolic turnaround for the CDC, which has been without a national headquarters since February 2024, when its Oldest Congo Town complex was demolished following a protracted legal battle. The Civil Law Court had ruled in favor of the land’s original owners, granting them rights to reclaim the property after years of dispute.
While the Civil Law Court went on reviewing claims and counterclaims from both the CDC and the estate of the late Martha Stubblefield Bernard, the lawful owner of the property, a decision was reached, granting the leaser the right to its property-the decision which culminated into the full demolition of all existing properties on the land on August 23, 2025 and showing the exit door to Weah and his followers.
The demolition, executed under heavily armed police guard, sparked outrage among CDC partisans, who accused the government of political persecution. The CDC’s leadership at the time described the act as “a calculated attempt to humiliate the people’s party,” while the Ministry of Justice maintained that the operation was a lawful enforcement of a judicial decision.
Now, nearly 20 months later, the party’s decision to construct a new edifice is being framed not only as an infrastructural project but as a rallying symbol of unity and resilience.
“A House Built by the People”
During the ceremony, held on a spacious plot of land along the same Tubman Boulevard in Oldest Congo Town, Weah told supporters that the new structure would represent “a house built by the people for the people.”
“This is not just about walls and roofs,” he said. “It is about restoring the spirit of a movement that believes in hard work, peace, and progress. When others seek to destroy, we rebuild stronger.”
The project, according to party officials, will include a main administrative building, a conference hall, training facilities, and media and communications offices. Construction will be financed primarily through contributions from CDC supporters at home and abroad, the party said, emphasizing transparency and collective ownership.
Political Undertones and 2029 Calculations
While Saturday’s event was billed as a groundbreaking, it also carried heavy political undertones. Observers noted that Weah’s remarks and the electrified atmosphere at the ceremony signaled the reawakening of the CDC’s political machinery ahead of the 2029 elections.
Several senior party figures, including former Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Tamba Koijee, former Chairman of the CDC Mulbah Morlu, and members of the CDC Women’s League and Youth Wing, attended the event, using the occasion to renew calls for unity within the party’s base.
Koijee, the party’s Secretary-General and a key Weah ally, noted that the construction project as “proof that no amount of political adversity can crush the spirit of the CDC.”
“We were brought down, but not destroyed,” Koijee said. “Our leader has shown us that true strength lies in rebuilding and moving forward.”
Former President Weah was out of Liberia when the bulldozers tore apart the buildings and other infrastructure, including the “cherished sycamore tree” but he was not mute as he called on his supporters to keep away from violence and allow the police and the sheriffs to execute the orders given them-promising that a new headquarters would be built upon his return, something which is now coming to its fruition.
In his speech, Weah accused the ruling Unity Party of orchestrating chaos and always targeting his political institution and its followers. Weah said the UP which was in power for twelve consecutive years prior to the CDC assuming power of the Presidency in 2023 has no new message and are only completing what his then government (CDC led) began-building roads, expanding electricticity supply, among others.
Weah narrowly lost the 2023 Presidential election to former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai who is now under scrutiny to deliver on his campaign promises which, when fulfilled would make Liberia a mini-paradise of its own. Boakai promised that no child could have been in the streets selling because of lack of tuition to attend school but the narrative remains the same or even worsening. During the 2023 campaign, Boakai and his supporters castigated the former ruling CDC for introducing the “harmonization” policy, terming it as a bad economic policy and would have been erased-ensuring that salaries of public officials, especially those in civil service would have been increased rather than decreased but that too remains underachieved so far. With about four years more to go, it is hoped that the country would be rescued as assured from the ills of yesterday said to have been exacerbated by Weah’s alleged poor rule.
Reactions from the Ruling Establishment
Although the Unity Party has not issued an official statement in response to Weah’s comments, several administration supporters took to social media to dismiss the former president’s jabs as “empty political theater.”
A senior government aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Mr. Weah should spend less time trying to revive old political wounds and more time reflecting on his failed leadership that left Liberians struggling.”
Nonetheless, several other people who followed or attended the groundbreaking ceremony say the CDC’s new project could energize its grassroots base and serve as a visual reminder of the party’s enduring popularity among urban youth and lower-income communities. One such person is Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe, a long time friend of Weah. Snowe, while on the Spoon Talk show Saturday night, said Weah showuld not be underestimated as his support base remains grounded and even expanding.
According to the Bomi County Lawmaker, while the groundbreaking ceremony was not a full political rally, it showed that the Unity Party has a lot of work to do to keep voters away from Weah comes 2029 Legislative and Presidential elections.
Symbolism Beyond Politics
For many within the CDC, the groundbreaking represents more than political posturing—it is a declaration of survival. “We were evicted, but not erased,” said Fatu Kollie, a longtime partisan who attended the ceremony. “Today, we start again, stronger and wiser.”
As the crowd dispersed under the afternoon sun, the rhythmic chants of “They break, we build!” echoed across the grounds—a slogan that, for the CDC, has now become both a promise and a rallying cry.
Whether this rebuilding effort will translate into renewed political momentum or not remains to be seen. But for now, the message from Weah and his supporters is clear: the CDC is not dead and it is not done yet.
UP Learning from CDC
Recently, the Unity Party announced the formation of a national committee as well as County committees to raise funds for the purchase of its own plot of land and the construction of its headquarters-something many see as an act of learning from the opposition CDC. Unlike the CDC which has been in existence for 20 years, the UP has been alive for over 40 years but without its own property called its headquarters. The groundbreaking carried out by the CDC sends a message and could change the dynamics of politics-ensuring supporters of political parties no longer feel disconnected after elections are over.
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