Africa-Press – Liberia. After more than a decade of mounting appeals from residents across Zorzor and Salayea, journalist and community development advocate James Papy Kwabo Jr. has announced that he will contest for the District Five Representative seat in the 2029 general and presidential elections.
The declaration, which many residents described as long-awaited, was made on Saturday, November 29, 2025, during a community-organized program in Borkeza, Zeayema Clan.
The event, originally planned as a simple birthday celebration for Kwabo, grew into a major political moment as hundreds of residents — elders, youth, women, farmers, and local leaders — gathered to present what they called an unmistakable mandate for him to enter national politics.
Kwabo, a native of Luyeama Town in the same Zeayema Clan, told the gathering that his decision was rooted in years of community pressure rather than personal ambition.
Residents from several parts of the district have long viewed him as an emerging voice for youth leadership, accountability, and development-focused representation. His announcement, many said, ends years of uncertainty and speculation about whether he would eventually heed the community’s call.
The ceremony was marked by a spontaneous outpouring of support. Citizens voluntarily donated more than L$236,000, 150 kilos of clean rice, and substantial quantities of farm produce, insisting that their contributions represented a community-driven endorsement rather than a political campaign.
Elders referred to the moment as “the community’s clear direction,” adding that they had not witnessed such unified mobilization for a prospective candidate in recent memory. Organizers also disclosed that since February 2025, residents from various parts of the district have been contributing to a community savings initiative intended to support what they described as a “leadership transition in 2029.”
Addressing the crowd, Kwabo said the gesture reinforced a message he had been hearing from citizens for many years. “This is not about birthday gifts,” he said. “This is a message the people have been sending since 2017, and they have now acted on it with their own hands. My calling is not to sit behind a microphone. My calling is to change lives. I will contest and we will get it done.”
In an emotional reflection, Kwabo spoke openly about his upbringing and hardships, recounting experiences of poverty, early disability challenges, and homelessness after the death of his mother before he reached age 15. He explained that these struggles shaped his understanding of community needs and deepened his commitment to helping disadvantaged youth and families in Lofa.
“If I went through all of those struggles and I’m standing here today, then anybody can be a champion of change,” he said. “The beginning is not the end. It is only a test.”
District Five, which comprises predominantly agricultural communities across Zorzor and Salayea, continues to face persistent obstacles, including poor feeder road conditions, insufficient school facilities, weak health services, limited market access, and stagnating opportunities for young people.
Speaking to these challenges, Kwabo stressed that solutions must come from within the district rather than from external actors. “We cannot escape from our problems,” he said. “We must sit right here and solve them. Leaving will not develop Zeayema, Zorzor, or Salayea.”
He also criticized what he described as years of mismanagement, including actions that undermine citizen participation and silence community voices. “Enough is enough,” he declared. “We are tired of people who steal our bread and use us as tools.”
As part of his transition into full-time community service ahead of the election cycle, Kwabo announced his intention to step down as CEO of Alternative Youth Radio (AYR) in December 2026. He said the institution, which he built as a platform to empower young people, will be handed over to one of the trainees he has mentored. “One of the children we trained will become the next CEO,” he said. “We are not bringing people from somewhere else. We are empowering our own.”
Residents traveled from across the district to attend the event, with some walking for hours from surrounding towns and villages. Many attendees described the day as historic, noting that the level of self-organized participation demonstrated the district’s readiness for political change and collective action.
Local observers believe that Kwabo’s early declaration gives him strategic momentum, allowing him ample time to build an extensive grassroots network. Community leaders have already expressed willingness to support town-hall consultations, door-to-door engagements, and issue-based dialogues leading up to the 2029 elections.
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