Newly-elected President Joseph Boakai of Liberia, on Monday, suffered a “heat stroke” while reading his acceptance speech shortly after taking the oath of office during his inauguration into office.
Mr Boakai, 79, had been speaking for about 30 minutes on the podium when it became clear that he was having difficulty continuing his speech.
He was immediately helped out of the stage by security details believed to be attached to the presidency at the event held at the Capitol Building, the seat of parliament in the capital, Monrovia.
Mr Boakai, who had been sworn in as Liberia’s oldest-ever president, was assisted out of the stage after failing twice to carry on his acceptance speech at the inauguration.
The health status of Mr Boakai, who narrowly defeated Mr George Weah, who became Liberia’s young-ever elected president, in a run-off election in November last year, was a major issue during the election campaign.
Mr Weah had already conceded defeat based on the results of more than 99.98 per cent of the polling stations before Mr Boakai’s official declaration as the winner of the exercise by the electoral commission.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan, were among African leaders who led a mediation mission for the election and commended Mr Weah for accepting the outcome of the poll.
However, in a statement released on Monday evening, the president’s office claimed that Mr Boakai had suffered exhaustion.
The statement added that doctors had already declared him “perfectly fine.”
“He has resumed his normal activities. He is expected to meet with the Ghanaian President and other dignitaries today,” it further added.
Political pundits had raised concerns about Mr Boakai’s age and energy to fit in for the presidential seat during the election campaign.
But the criticism was met with strong defence as his loyalists claimed he was fit to run the office.