Liberia election: George Weah takes early lead


FE Team | Published: October 13, 2017 15:20:24 | Updated: October 25, 2017 05:29:58


Photo- Collected

Partial results from Liberia's presidential election show former football star George Weah has taken an early lead.

Figures from the National Elections Commission (NEC) put Weah ahead in 11 out of 15 counties, although most votes have yet to be counted, reports BBC.

His main rival, incumbent Vice-President Joseph Boakai, leads in one county and is second in most others.

A candidate needs more than 50 per cent of the votes for outright victory.

If no-one achieves that, a second round will be held in November.

The election is to choose a successor to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - Africa's first elected female president and a Nobel Peace laureate.

As the results came in, the manager of Arsenal Football Club, Arsene Wenger, was apparently duped by false reports that Weah had won.

"I would like to congratulate one of my former players, who became president of Liberia," Wenger told reporters.

"It's not often you have a former player who becomes president of a country. So well done, Georgie,” he said.

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