The Cummings’ website shows information that the Collaborating Political Party (CPP) Presidential candidate, Alexander Cummings, was born at the Old Government Hospital in Monrovia to Mr. Alexander B. Cummings Sr. and Mrs. Ayo Cummings.
Cummings Sr., deceased, served as an educator and a prelate at the Grace Episcopal Church in Clay Ashland, while Mrs. Cummings is a midwife and small business owner.
Cummings, the presidential hopeful, came to light in 2017 when he contested the Presidential elections on the mantra “Talk and Do”.
He is one of the major political actors in the upcoming October 10, 2023, presidential and legislative elections, representing a fraction of the Liberty Party and the Alternative National Congress (ANC). He contested 2017 on the ANC.
For the upcoming elections, he and his running mate are referred to as “Fixers.”
Cummings spent most of his working life in the United States and has been president and chief operating officer of The Coca-Cola Co.’s Africa operations since 2001; he joined Coca-Cola in 1997 as managing director/region manager in Nigeria.
As The Stage Media examined the presidential candidate’s biography, we wondered if he is stingy with his memoir for the public or if he does not want the public to know who his biological parents are.
As the investigation moves deeper, it remains unclear why Cummings has omitted his actual life story and only detailed his alleged adopted family’s successes.
Rev. Cummings Sr. Story
Cummings Sr. worked with William V. S. Tubman as Assistant minister, according to History of the Episcopal Church of Liberia Since 1980, written by Dr. Elwood Dunn.
He was also Under Secretary of Education in the Tubman administration and briefly Deputy Minister of Education in the Tolbert administration.
He was born in 1922. Earned a BA degree from Liberia College in 1951 and an MA degree from the University of Beruit, Lebanon. He was ordained a deacon in 1973 and a priest in 1974. He also served as a priest at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Camp Johnson Road, and was a supply priest in the American Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey in the 1980s.
Rev. Cummings and Madam Ayo had three girls, namely, Chaneta, Julia, and Patricia (deceased).
In 2022, CPP Cummings visited the Grace Episcopal Church, where Rev. Cummings served as the first Priest.
Patricia, who was born five years after the CPP leader, died on July 3, and was buried at Memorial Oak Cemetery, the same place where Rev. Cummings was buried.
Rev. Cummings passed in 2002.
Cummings or Buoey?
The Stage Media visited Gbeken, a town in Maryland, an area Cummings claims to be from.
Alphonso Howe, 88, and John Watkins, 91, who spoke through an interpreter, confirmed that CPP Cummings is a descendant of Gbeken town in Karluway District.
Howe recalled that Rev. Cummings was an assistant Minister who went to Maryland County along with former President Tubman to break ground for Pleebo town hall in the early 1960s.
The land was given by the then-commissioner of Pleebo, David Wah Hnyei, who subsequently became senator of Maryland County.
The community where the town hall is located is called Mission Town, named after a Methodist mission that was established by Jasper Grant
“The mission is no longer there, but there is a church called Jasper Grant Methodist Church. The town hall is now the Pleebo Administrative Building,” said Howe.
CPP Cummings was taken from his father between the ages of 4 and 6 by Rev. Cummings, who was influential and a “Congau” man.
Howe said at the time that children were raised by Americo Liberia (Congau) people, and their names were changed.
He recalled that CPP Cummings had never visited Gbeken since the time he was taken by Rev. Cummings until recently, when he had a political ambition to contest the presidency.
“If you are from Maryland and have held good jobs that will improve the lives of your siblings and father, why will you wait for elections before coming back to us? ” Howe questioned.
“He was indeed raised by the Cummingses, but is it a problem for him to identify with indigenous families, or does he not want to say he was adopted?” he continued.
Howe worked with Rev. Cummings and recalled that the Episcopal priest is the father of only three girls.
He said CPP Cumming’s story is related to many stories in Liberia, and there is no need for Cumming to be ashamed of it.
Watkins is a very close friend of John Buoey, the “biological father” of Cummings, who died after a protracted illness.
Mr. Buoey serves as commissioner, like Wah Hnyei.
“Because he never had an education, he never wanted his son to be like him, so he gave Alex to the Cummings to raise him,” Watkins said.
Watkins added, “Well, Cummings didn’t grow up and never lived here for long, and it was only this political season, which is 2017, that he came here to look for his family members.”
“Cummings asked for his father’s grave and those of his family members; we gave him all the documents, and he carried them,” Watkins disclosed.
Watkins said he saw CPP Cummings before he could leave with Rev. Cummings, and his friend (Buoey) told him (Cummings) that the B in the middle should be Buoey.
“Even the B in the middle was his father’s original name, which is Buoey, so his full name should be Alexander Buoey Cummings.” Oldman Wakins narrated.
Watkins saw CPP Cumming’s mother momentarily but knew she was from Nimba. “His mother was here, but she and Buoey broke up, I know she is from Nimba.
He claimed that his friend Buoey then changed his name to Martin Cummings so his son, CPP Cummings, could identify with him. That led to the CPP Cummings siblings taking on the name Buoey Cummings.
“But that did not happen after he waited so long for Alex to come looking for him; he felt ill for a long period and died.”
The Gbeken town is located in Karluway District, it has a population of over 2000 people and hosts one of Liberia’s National Elections Commission centers after Manlaou.
CPP Cummings paternal grandfather, Klaybeyor Buoey, was one of the founding members of Gbeken and also died from a protracted illness.
Watkins said that five years after the demise of CPP Cummings’ “biological” father, two siblings, Edwin and Sarah, died as well.
We contacted the CPP political leader on Thursday, August 10, on the story for a response, but he has yet to respond. However, on Friday, his social media page published two posts about Madam and Rev. Cummings.
The Family’s Puzzle
Chaneta, the oldest daughter of Rev. Cummings, posted a Mother’s Day greeting to Madam Ayo Cumming On May 11, 2014, she included both CPP Cummings and his wife; but on May 14, 2023, another Mother’s Day wish did not include Alexander Cummings for their “mother”.
Tehana Weeks, daughter of Julia Cummings Weeks, posted pictures of her mother and two sisters with the tagline, “The original FIERCE!”
The Image was also posted by Chanetal in 2017 “The 3 DIVAS – Chaneta, PATRICIA CUMMINGS, Julia Weeks. Back when we thought we would be together for a long, long time on planet earth!! That is why it is important to enjoy and cherish every moment of every moment with the ones you love. I love you, Pat. I am sooooooo happy we had the opportunity to tell each other how much we loved each other every day. What a blessing! ❤ ❤ ❤ <3<3 ❤ ❤”
Tehana also posted an image of CPP leader Alexander Cummings here
With all of the evidence gathered, it leaves one to wonder why CPP Cummings is so economical with the truth about his biological parents. We are yet to establish what else he has not divulged to his followers, whom he wants to lead.
Bryan Dioh Contributed to the Article
Investigation Continues
This story was produced with the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development’s (CJID) support.
