Moye: Bong Could Decide 2029

By Kruah Thompson

GBARNGA, Bong County, August 10, 2026 — Bong County Senator Prince Moye says President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is increasingly prioritizing development in Bong because of the county’s strategic importance in national politics, despite the county giving former President George Weah more votes in the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking Saturday, August 8, at the Bong Athletic and Intellectual Center (BASIC) in Gbarnga, Moye argued that Bong could play a decisive role in future presidential elections and that the Boakai administration understands the county’s political significance.

According to election figures cited by Moye, Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) received 77,184 votes, or 43.91 percent, in Bong, compared with 67,383 votes, or 38.33 percent, for Boakai of the Unity Party (UP).

Moye said the outcome has not prevented the Boakai administration from directing attention and development initiatives toward the county.

The Senator, who visited several communities in Bong over the weekend, said the county’s position in Liberia’s electoral landscape makes it difficult for any government to ignore.

He predicted that Bong could emerge as a major battleground in the next presidential election if current political alignments remain unchanged.

“If the political variables remain as they are, Nimba will absorb the Southeast, while Lofa will be removed and Bong County will be the deciding factor in the coming election,” Moye said.

He argued that President Boakai understands the political calculation and therefore cannot afford to take Bong County for granted.

“Bong County is like the President’s ‘paper bush,’ where putting too much pressure could create political problems,” Moye told the gathering.

Moye also linked what he described as the President’s increased attention to Bong to his own political relationship with the Unity Party and the county’s broader role in national politics.

He pointed to several ongoing or proposed projects as evidence that Bong is receiving increased development attention under the Boakai administration.

“If you look at our infrastructure development from stage one all the way to stage seven, the local government is implementing projects while the national government is also implementing projects,” Moye said.

Among the initiatives he cited were the construction of a convention center, the provision of two pieces of yellow machinery, the construction of a new C.B. Dunbar facility along the Lofa Road and plans for a referral hospital in Lower Bong.

Moye also referenced plans for a football academy in the county and said ArcelorMittal is partnering with the government on a proposed steel park in Palala.

The Senator thanked President Boakai for responding to development concerns from Bong, but said the county requires additional investment.

He pledged to continue engaging the President and advocating for more development projects.

“We want the President to keep helping to put Bong County on the development map, so that they can’t have any reason for regret,” Moye said.

Moye’s comments come as political actors begin assessing alliances and electoral strongholds ahead of the 2029 presidential and legislative elections, with vote-rich Bong expected to remain an important battleground for the country’s major political blocs.