MONROVIA – Liberia’s ruling Unity Party (UP) has denied allegations of political interference in the recent court-ordered eviction of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) from its longtime headquarters. A top official, Mohammed Ali, insisted the eviction was a consequence of the CDC’s own failures, not government action.
Ali, the Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, stated that the CDC had only itself to blame for being removed from the Bernard’s Beach compound it had occupied for over two decades. “CDC’s failures are CDC’s failures,” Ali said. “The property owner exercised their rights under the law, and the bulldozer was hired by them, not the government.”
The eviction on August 23, enforced by police, followed a ruling by the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court in Monrovia. The court awarded the 4.23-acre estate to the family of Martha Stubblefield Bernard. The subsequent demolition not only leveled the CDC’s headquarters but also significant symbolic fixtures, including a sycamore tree where the party, led by former President George Weah, had held mass rallies.
Weah denounced the move as illegal and politically motivated, while his supporters called it an attack on the opposition’s legacy. In response, authorities maintained that the incident was a civil property dispute, not a government-led political action.
In a Flag Day message, Ali dismissed the CDC’s accusations against President Joseph Boakai’s administration. He argued that despite years of high-profile fundraising through its “Dollar Rallies,” the party had failed to secure permanent ownership of the property.
“Over two decades, multiple dollar rallies raised millions, but the property was never purchased,” Ali said. “Supporters deserve accountability on how those contributions were used and why promises were not kept.” He contrasted the CDC’s eviction with the Unity Party’s own move from its rented headquarters in 2020, noting that the UP relocated without confrontation after a rent increase.
Montserrado Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, a ruling coalition ally, urged political parties to view the event as a learning opportunity. “Instead of laughing at the CDC, I would rather use their case as a lesson,” Dillon said. “We need to own our own headquarters.”
Meanwhile, some CDC figures expressed defiance. “The broken pieces we gather will serve as a symbol of our commitment to rebranding and moving forward,” party member Samuel Weah wrote on Facebook.
Upon his return from Japan, President Boakai reiterated that the matter had been resolved by the judiciary. “The law is the law,” he stated. “The police were ordered to carry out the action, and they did. That demolition was simply the removal of people from premises that did not belong to them.”
