Monrovia-The political climate in Sinoe County has erupted into open confrontation following stunning remarks by Senator Crayton Oldman Duncan that the government of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) was a “failure.”
But his categorization of the party as a failure did not go unnoticed with the party’s Sinoe County Spokesman who also described him as a hypocrite.
Senator Duncan is a ranking member of the CDC, and he came to power through the propelling instrumentality of the CDC administration he has branded as failure.
He made the remarks recently at the AMUWLU Intellectual Center in Greenville City, an occasion of his post-birthday address to unveil a new political movement aimed at removing both the CDC and the ruling Unity Party (UP) from power.
His criticism of the CDC is widely viewed as a dramatic departure from party solidarity — and one that triggered immediate and fiery backlash.
Duncan accused the CDC-led government of failing the Liberian people, drawing a controversial comparison between former President George Weah and President Joseph N. Boakai.
“How could a younger, more dynamic George Weah lose to an older opponent?” he asked rhetorically, suggesting the answer lies in the CDC’s poor governance and public disillusionment.
He also dismissed a reconciliation attempt from former Senator J. Milton Teahjay, who had taken to Facebook to extend congratulations and promote unity in the county. Duncan flatly rejected the gesture: “I already have my legislative ally in Senator Augustine S. Chea. I don’t need Teahjay’s friendship.”
While reaffirming his commitment to local development — especially his push to transform the Samuel Alfred Ross Port into an autonomous entity — Duncan’s remarks were unmistakably designed to separate himself from the CDC, despite having directly benefited from its support in 2023.
However, his criticism of the CDC did not go unanswered, as CDC’s official campaign spokesperson in Sinoe County during the 2023 elections, Henry Doe Dargbeh III, issued a blistering rebuttal, accusing Duncan of hypocrisy and political opportunism.
“Yesterday, in an intellectual forum, Senator Duncan said CDC lost because President Weah failed,” Dargbeh said. “But as CDC spokesperson, I believe the party lost because Duncan himself was never sincere in his support for the CDC during the second round.”
Dargbeh argued that Duncan, having already secured his Senate seat in the first round, did little to ensure turnout for Weah in the runoff election.
“He sat as an executive of the CDC, handled resources, yet refused to mobilize voters,” Dargbeh continued. “Over 24,000 eligible voters didn’t cast their votes in Sinoe during the second round. Nearly 50% of those who voted for the CDC or COD in the first round stayed home-largely because their leaders failed to support or finance their participation.”
He went further to suggest that Duncan’s current criticism is nothing more than calculated image-polishing: “As a politician, I know sometimes you criticize just to be loved. This is Duncan’s way of gaining attention. But he needs to look in the mirror. He didn’t engage fully when it mattered — and now wants to scapegoat the party he abandoned when it counted most.”
The feud between Duncan and CDC stalwarts signals deepening fractures in Sinoe’s political structure — and possibly the national CDC framework. Duncan’s bold disavowal of his party, paired with Dargbeh’s accusations of sabotage, paints a picture of distrust and disunity that may carry lasting consequences heading toward the 2029 election cycle.
While Duncan seeks to forge a new path, his critics insist he is merely rewriting history to mask his own failures. One thing is clear: political loyalty in Liberia, especially in counties like Sinoe, is increasingly conditional — and reputations are quickly being reshaped in the eyes of a watching electorate.
