Boakai’s inauguration as Liberia’s new president ends abruptly as he suffers health challenge on podium

“People rushed to President Boakai’s aid as he struggled to continue with his speech”

Liberia’s new President Joseph Boakai’s inauguration on Monday ran into a hitch as he was “helped away” from the podium while struggling to reach the end of his speech.

Mr Boakai, 79, had been speaking for around 30 minutes at his inauguration ceremony when it became clear that he was having difficulty continuing.

As he failed twice to conclude the inaugural address, the authorities was forced to adjourn the ceremony.

Persecondnews observed that Liberia moves from youngest elected leader, George Weah to the oldest leader in the annals of the country’s political history,
Joseph Boakai.

The new president suffered from heat exhaustion as the temperature reached more than 30C, according to reports.

Video footage showed a man fanning papers near Mr Boakai’s face, before he was taken away.

By then, Mr Boakai had already been sworn in as Liberia’s oldest-ever president at the ceremony held at the Capitol Building, the seat of parliament in the capital, Monrovia.

After he was taken away, new Vice-President Jeremiah Koung addressed the occasion and escorted them to the presidential dinner.

Persecondnews recalls that Boakai narrowly defeated the outgoing president, former football star George Weah, in a run-off election in November 2023.

Commenting on his health status during the electioneering campaign, Boakai boasted he was in good health and that”age should be a blessing to this country”.

Boakai had earlier said before the stoppage: “Elections are over, partisanship must give [way] to the forward march of Liberia.

“I come to rekindle our hopes, dignity in public service and respecting the rule of law must be restored.”

Boakai was vice-president in Nobel Peace Prize-winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s government until 2018, and contested the presidency under the banner of the United Party (UP).

He defeated Mr Weah by just over 20,000 votes in a run-off election in November.

Boakai also ran for the presidency in 2017, but lost to Mr Weah, who became Liberia’s young-ever elected president.