By By The People News
Monrovia, Liberia– The red card once lifted by Alexander B. Cummings against colleagues in politics, will now be awarded to himself as the Leader says 2029 will be his final run for public office, warning that he will quit partisan politics entirely if Liberians do not elect him president.
Speaking recently on _The Closing Argument_, Cummings said he has spent nearly a decade laying out a vision for Liberia and will not continue contesting if voters reject it again. “If Liberians do not see it necessary to elect me after years of explaining my vision for Liberia, I will have no option but to resign from Politics and contribute to the Country’s growth in other ways,” he said. “If I’m rejected by Liberians, I will not frown at anyone, but will quietly part ways with Liberian politics and observe those who will be entrusted to serve.”
The declaration frames the 2029 presidential election as a make-or-break moment for both Cummings and the ANC. It also puts pressure on the party to reorganize early, secure alliances, and convert Cummings’ name recognition and corporate background into votes after two previous unsuccessful bids.
Cummings simultaneously revived allegations about the 2023 elections. He claimed the 1% awarded to the ANC by the National Elections Commission was the product of electoral malpractices, and insisted his party’s actual tally was higher than what was announced. The NEC has not responded to the latest claim. Election observers in 2023 flagged logistical challenges but certified the results as reflective of the will of voters.
Cummings entered Liberian politics in 2016 after a long executive career at The Coca-Cola Company. He first ran in 2017 as Standard Bearer of the ANC, and again in 2023 both as ANC leader and as a principal within the now-defunct Collaborating Political Parties. Both attempts ended short of the presidency.
Political analysts say the “2029 or exit” line is both a rallying cry and a risk. It could energize ANC partisans who feel their leader has not been given a fair shot, but it may also allow opponents to paint him as transactional rather than committed to institution-building. Others note that setting a deadline can sharpen focus, but it also gives rivals three years to consolidate ahead of him.
For the ANC, the statement resets the party’s timeline. With no Cummings on the ballot after 2029, the party will need to groom a succession bench or risk fading as a one-man vehicle. The claim of a stolen 2023 result also keeps election reform on the agenda heading into the next cycle, an issue civil society groups have pushed since the last polls.
Whether voters see Cummings’ ultimatum as conviction or frustration will likely define his last campaign. For now, he says he will accept the outcome without bitterness and shift to private contribution if 2029 does not go his way — closing a political chapter that began with a Coca-Cola executive’s return home in 2016.
