Tyrant with Certificate of Return still tyrant – Ex-Liberian President, Weah warns

Former Liberian President, George Weah says any tyrant who wins an election and is handed a Certificate of Return remains a tyrant.

Weah made this assertion at the ongoing 2026 Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

The ex-president and football star also charged African leaders to embrace democratic tenets, describing those who govern like dictators as threats to democracy.

“And let me be plain about something else because it is often the more dangerous of the two threats to democracy.

“The danger is not only that soldiers might seize power in the night or that a defeated candidate might refuse to leave office. A tyrant with a certificate of return is still a tyrant,” he said.

He stressed the crucial role of the Bar and Bench in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of citizens.

According to him, an independent judiciary, protected by a fearless legal profession, is needed in every serious nation.