Two senior Elections Magistrates of the National Elections Commission (NEC) have refuted reports of their involvement in advocating for the reinstatement of the suspended Chairperson of the NEC, Davidetta Brown Lansanah.
Magistrates David A. Logan, secretary, and Vopea S. Gongloe, head, who are purporting to be leaders of the NEC across the country, distanced all 18 magistrates and magisterial offices’ staffers from all reports asking President Joseph Boakai to reinstate the suspended Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC).
The two claimed in a release issued over the weekend that they are “guided by the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and professionalism,” and as such they cannot indulge in political activities.
Logan, Senior Elections Magistrate, Grand Bassa County and Gongloe, Senior Elections Magistrate, Lower Montserrado County, reacted to a story published in the Daily Observer on February 6, 2025. The story is titled: Payroll Overload at NEC Drains Gov’t Coffers. As a side note in this story, this newspaper reported, ‘Meanwhile, a separate development has emerged within the NEC.
Reports indicate that more than half of the Commission’s staff, including employees from 18 magisterial offices, have distanced themselves from the disruptive actions of certain colleagues. These staff members have expressed support for the return of NEC Chairperson Davidetta Brown Lansanah, whom they credit for maintaining electoral integrity and stability, particularly in the wake of the recent opposition victory.’
But to pick a bone with the newspaper, Messrs Logan and Gongloe took the story to be only about them at the magisterial level, forgetting about others at the head office of the Commission, which has 300 or more staffers, excluding the 93 staff members in all 19 magisterial offices.
“First and foremost, we categorically deny and distance ourselves from these baseless allegations. At no point have we, individually or collectively, engaged in any discussion or taken any action aimed at influencing the Executive to reinstate Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah.
As Elections Magistrates, we are guided by the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and professionalism, which form the foundation of our duties and responsibilities. Any attempt to associate us with political maneuvering is a direct attack on our integrity and the independence of the Commission,” the Elections Magistrates said in their release signed by Logan and Gongloe.
According to them, the report has raised concerns among members of the public and key stakeholders in the electoral process, and as such, they find it imperative to set the record straight.
In their release, they accuse the Observer of stating that 18 Elections Magistrates have taken a position in support of the reinstatement of the suspended Chairperson of the Commission, Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah. Their assertion is misleading. At no time did the Daily Observer report such. The Paper rather referenced staffers at the NEC headquarters and others at the magisterial offices.
“Reports indicate that more than half of the Commission’s staff, including employees from 18 magisterial offices, have distanced themselves from the disruptive actions of certain colleagues. These staff members have expressed support for the return of Chairperson Lansanah, whom they credit for maintaining electoral integrity and stability, particularly in the wake of the recent opposition victory.”
The Elections Magistrates say they find the newspaper’s story to be “troubling and detrimental to the credibility” of their work. They, however, failed to indicate how the report is troubling and detrimental. They did not indicate how in their release
“Furthermore, the National Elections Commission is a constitutionally established body governed by laws, regulations, and best practices aimed at ensuring the credibility of elections in Liberia. As such, decisions regarding the status of any member of the Commission, including the Chairperson, rest solely with the appropriate legal and administrative authorities. It is not within our purview to make such determinations, nor have we engaged in any activities contrary to the rules and ethical standards governing our work.”
In a telephone conversation with Logan, he, among other things, told this writer that they had asked all 93 members of the Elections Magistrates, and none had admitted to speaking with this newspaper. Therefore, according to them, the paper’s assertion that half of the Commission’s staff, including employees from 18 magisterial offices, asking the President to reinstate Madam Lansanah, is not true.
Speaking about the Elections Magistrates’ impartiality and neutrality, Logan and Gongloe, however, fail to mention that one of their colleagues, Mr. Luther Dean, who is the Magistrate of Bomi County, was the co-chair of the protest. Dean was among the 25 NEC staff members dismissed but was reinstated later.
Dean told this newspaper that he was on the frontline of the protest representing the Elections Magistrates’ interests.
“Gongloe wasn’t well; he was in Ghana. Logan is scary; he was in the background. I was on the frontline fighting for our rights and just benefits,” he stated. It was the protest actions that bred other things, including leading to the reaction to the Daily Observer report by the two elections magistrates.
“We demand an immediate retraction of these false allegations and a formal clarification to prevent further misinformation. Additionally, we caution against the spread of unverified information that has the potential to undermine public trust in the National Elections Commission (NEC).
The integrity of the electoral process is paramount to the sustenance of our democracy, and any attempt to tarnish the reputation of election officials poses a significant threat to the credibility of elections in Liberia,” the release stated.
Again, the two Elections Magistrates are wrong here. They are the ones trying to expose any untoward behavior about their work. The newspaper’s story is very clear. At no time, did it do or report anything that they stated in the above paragraphs.
“Our commitment as Elections Magistrates remains steadfast. We will continue to execute our duties with the highest level of professionalism and dedication, ensuring that the electoral process is conducted in a manner that reflects the true will of the people. We reaffirm our dedication to maintaining neutrality and upholding the rule of law in all electoral matters.
“We wish to emphasize that our focus remains on fulfilling our responsibilities as mandated by the National Elections Commission. We will not be distracted by baseless allegations, and we remain resolute in our mission to safeguard the integrity of the electoral system in Liberia.
We encourage the media and the general public to seek accurate information from credible sources and to avoid being misled by unverified reports,” they further stated in the release.
