BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Liberian opposition leader and presidential hopeful Alexander Cummings will visit Minnesota next week, bringing one of Liberia’s most prominent political figures to Brooklyn Park as maneuvering over the country’s 2029 presidential election begins to take shape.
Cummings, political leader of the Alternative National Congress, will headline a business and economic forum Oct. 8 at the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center, event coordinator Trokon Page confirmed Wednesday.
The visit comes less than two weeks after Cummings joined former Liberian President George Weah and leaders of three other opposition parties in signing an agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation among opponents of President Joseph Boakai’s Unity Party government.
The Sept. 27 agreement stopped short of creating an electoral coalition or deciding who could lead a unified opposition ticket in 2029. Instead, the parties established a joint technical committee and pledged to coordinate on governance, economic policy, democratic institutions and other national issues while retaining their individual identities.
The agreement was signed by Cummings; Weah, political leader of the Congress for Democratic Change; Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah Sr. of the Movement for Economic Empowerment; Simeon C.M. Freeman of the Movement for Progressive Change; and Jonathan A. Mason of the Union of Liberian Democrats Party.
The parties said their cooperation is focused for now on national issues rather than electoral calculations, but acknowledged that its success could ultimately shape their approach to the 2029 elections.
Cummings has already made clear that another presidential campaign is on his mind.
In August, the longtime businessman and former Coca-Cola executive said the 2029 election would be his final attempt to win Liberia’s presidency. He previously ran for president in 2017 and again in 2023.
Cummings received 7.2% of the vote in his first presidential campaign in 2017. Running in 2023 as the presidential candidate of the Collaborating Political Parties, he received 1.6% in the first round, according to Liberia’s National Elections Commission.
Boakai defeated Weah in the 2023 runoff election, denying the then-president a second consecutive term.
Business and diaspora investment
Organizers of the Brooklyn Park forum are emphasizing business, investment and economic development rather than electoral politics.
The Business Economic Forum is expected to bring together Liberian and other business owners, entrepreneurs and community leaders to discuss diaspora investment, small and minority-owned business growth, public-private partnerships, technology and financial literacy.
Organizers say the gathering will also explore ways to connect diaspora capital with business opportunities in Minnesota and internationally.
Cummings brings an extensive corporate background to those discussions. Before entering Liberian politics, he spent more than 18 years with The Coca-Cola Co., including serving as president of the company’s Africa Group and later as executive vice president and chief administrative officer. As president of the Africa Group, Cummings oversaw operations across 56 African countries and territories.
“Our mission is to bring together the brightest minds in business and economics to forge clear paths forward to build relationships and explore practical opportunities,” Page said in announcing the event.
The forum is expected to include discussions on connecting diaspora capital to investment opportunities, reducing barriers for small businesses and developing partnerships that can create jobs and sustainable economic growth.
Cummings’ Minnesota appearance, however, comes against an increasingly active political backdrop in Liberia.
The opposition agreement followed earlier talks among opposition leaders and calls for greater coordination ahead of the next presidential election. The parties said they plan to continue discussions and expand engagement with other opposition groups and Liberian stakeholders.
Whether those efforts eventually produce a single opposition presidential ticket remains unresolved.
For Cummings, that question carries particular significance after two unsuccessful presidential campaigns — and his declaration that 2029 would be his final attempt at Liberia’s highest office.
The Business Economic Forum will be held Oct. 8 at the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center, 7970 Brooklyn Blvd. Organizers said registration is open to business leaders, institutional representatives and members of the public.
Registration and additional information are available at the event’s website.
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About Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the board of the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
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