{"id":5479,"date":"2017-12-29T15:24:51","date_gmt":"2017-12-29T22:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nigerianews.ca\/?p=5479"},"modified":"2017-12-30T22:12:01","modified_gmt":"2017-12-31T05:12:01","slug":"football-pitch-presidential-seat-global-felicitations-weah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nigerianews.ca\/football-pitch-presidential-seat-global-felicitations-weah\/","title":{"rendered":"From Football Pitch To Presidential Seat: Global felicitations for Weah"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"[LIVE]<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Weah win: Jubilation at home, global felicitations pour in LIBERIA<\/address>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
\n
\n

Former soccer star George Weah has been declared winner of Liberia\u2019s presidential runoff vote held on December 26.<\/p>\n

According to the National Elections Commission (NEC<\/span>) Weah, 51, had garnered 61% of valid votes cast from 98.1% of votes tallied. He is officially president elect and will take over from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.<\/p>\n

Photo: Weah supporters jubilate on streets of Monrovia<\/div>\n

\"Weah<\/a><\/p>\n

…man replaces Africa\u2019s first female president.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Update: 28 December<\/p>\n

The elections body, NEC<\/span>, in its only presser held late Wednesday said it will release provisional results of the presidential runoff today.<\/p>\n

This is amidst tonnes of congratulatory messages \u201caffirming\u201d victory for George Weah. Reports also indicate that the camp of vice-president Boakai are also making similar claims.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe National Elections Commission (NEC<\/span>) says it will on Thursday December 28 begin the announcement of provisional results of the 2017 presidential runoff.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe runoff was held on Tuesday December 26 between VP Joseph Boakai of the UP and Senator George Weah of the CDC<\/span>. Tallying of votes started today, Tuesday across the country and it is continuing,\u201d the NEC<\/span> statement added.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the United Nations chief has deployed former Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo to help Liberia in the transition process.<\/p>\n

Update: 27 December<\/p>\n

Polls closed yesterday in Africa\u2019s final presidential poll for 2017 as Liberians voted in a runoff to elect a successor to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.<\/p>\n

Counting of the votes across the country continued immediately after close of polls. The elections body says it will announce a winner latest by Friday, December 29.<\/p>\n

Elections chief, Jerome Korkoya in his first press conference after close of polls said the process was an improvement on the October 10 first round as processes they had put in place worked close to perfectly.<\/p>\n

\u201cCounting of the ballot papers has now commenced and is currently being carried out nationwide. This counting will be undertaken under the full view of political party agents and international and national election observers.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy tomorrow morning, 27 December 2017 at 11:00 hours the tallying of results will commence and the National Elections Commission will continue to release provisional results as they arrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce again the National Elections Commission would like to remind all stakeholders including the media that it alone is responsible for the announcement of election results. And only results released by the National Elections Commission should be reported as official ones,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

An AFP<\/span> journalist tweeted a rundown of the voting day:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\u00a0\"\"<\/span>Jennifer O’Mahony\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2714<\/b><\/span><\/span>@jaomahony<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n

OK here is what we know as polling stations close in #<\/span>Liberia<\/span><\/a>:<\/p>\n

– Turnout was DOWN in the morning according to observers
\n– May have picked up in the afternoon
\n– Voting was peaceful
\n– Weah and Boakai both said they will respect the result
\n– AS LONG AS they don’t suspect fraud<\/p>\n