COCOPA, Nimba – Senator Prince Yormie Johnson of Nimba County has disclosed information about the formation of a new political party. Speaking to a crew of journalist in Cocopa over the weekend, Senator Johnson said all is now set to finally register the party with the National Elections Commission.

According to the Nimba County lawmaker, he has formed a new political party that will take him to the nation’s highest seat. He also dispelled rumors that he would enter the race as a running mate to VP Boakai of the Unity Party or the former Central Bank of Liberia governor, Mills Jones.

“Contrary to views expressed by other people that I am going to be VP to Boakai or VP to Mills Jones, they are all false and misleading,” Johnson said. “I am running independently and we are going to look for our own VP from any of the counties that we deem necessary.”

Johnson said he remains open to anyone who wants to join the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction Party, as his new party is called.

“Nimba is the most vote-rich county in the country next to Montserrado, with about 1.2 million people” the senator said. “So we are not going to bow down to people from other small counties. No way.” In fact, the 2008 Census put Nimba’s population at 462,000.

Johnson said he feels that his party can make a great difference in the 2017 elections and that he cannot compromise his ability as a veteran politician, especially in his stronghold area of Nimba. He said the fact that he participated in two elections and finished in the top three is a clear indication that he can ascend to the nation’s highest seat.

“For this coming election, we are certain that we will come first,” he said. “Except that, we are not going to meet up with the 50 percent plus one vote in the first round; we know it is not easy for anyone to reach that far in the first round of the election, but we will come first by God’s grace, definitely.”

Johnson, who was the founder and standard bearer of the National Union for Democratic Progress, has vowed to replace Nimba lawmakers at the Capitol Building who he accuses of having disrespected him over time.

Without naming the lawmakers, he said he would raise candidates against them on the ticket of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction Party to have them unseated.

“We got our own candidates. And we will match them against those who we do not want to see” he said.

“We are going to put formidable candidates against all of those people, and for some of them who will come to us, we will review their records and have them on board. But right now, I cannot tell who those people are,” he added.

Featured photo by Arrington Ballah