Kogar’s Weah Meeting Appearance Deepens MDR Political Dispute

MONROVIA – The participation of expelled Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar in a political roundtable convened by former President George Manneh Weah has triggered a fresh political reaction from the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction, which says his appearance vindicates the party’s decision to expel him.

Kogar was among several prominent political figures seen at the Jamaica Resort in Paynesville on Saturday, September 5, 2026, during the first round of a closed-door opposition gathering convened through the office of former President Weah.

His presence at the meeting has added a new layer to an already contentious political dispute between the senator and the MDR, which previously accused him of engaging in activities contrary to the party’s interests.

MDR Vice Chair for Public Affairs Kelvin Mattaldi said Kogar’s participation in the opposition gathering reinforces the allegations that led to his removal from the party.

According to Mattaldi, the senator’s decision to attend the engagement demonstrates the concerns the MDR had previously raised about his political conduct and activities.

The MDR maintains that Kogar had engaged in conduct that was inconsistent with the party’s interests and had allegedly misrepresented the party during political engagements across the country.

Mattaldi argued that Kogar’s appearance at a gathering organized around opposition coordination provides further evidence, in the MDR’s view, that the senator had been pursuing political activities outside the direction and expectations of the party.

“The participation of Senator Samuel Kogar in former President George Weah’s opposition meeting vindicates the MDR’s decision to remove him,” the party said through Mattaldi.

Kogar’s presence, however, also places him within a larger political conversation involving some of Liberia’s most prominent opposition figures.

Among those attending the first round of the meeting were former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel F. McGill, former Information Minister Eugene Lenn Nagbe, former Speaker Dr. Bhofal Chambers, former Public Works Minister Ruth Coker Collins, former Bomi County Senator Sando Johnson, former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, CDC National Chairman Atty. Janga A. Kowo and former Foreign Affairs Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah.

The gathering was largely attended by political actors associated with the Coalition for Democratic Change, although invitations were also extended to leaders from other opposition political formations.

The political significance of Kogar’s participation therefore extends beyond his dispute with the MDR.

His presence at a meeting focused on opposition unity and solidarity raises questions about his future political alignment and whether expelled or politically displaced figures could find new platforms within an emerging opposition configuration.

Invitations for another meeting scheduled for Sunday at 3:00 p.m. indicate that the broader engagement will address the state of affairs in Liberia, national issues, opposition unity and solidarity, matters of interest to participating leaders and the way forward.

The meetings are being convened through former President Weah’s office, potentially giving the former president a renewed role in coordinating opposition conversations.

For the MDR, however, Kogar’s appearance has provided an opportunity to revisit the justification for his expulsion.

Mattaldi said the senator’s participation demonstrates that the party’s concerns were not without basis, particularly its allegations that Kogar had acted in ways incompatible with the MDR’s political interests.

The dispute also underscores a broader challenge facing opposition politics in Liberia: the difficulty of maintaining party discipline while political actors navigate relationships, alliances and competing national ambitions.

Kogar’s attendance at the Jamaica Resort does not, by itself, establish a new political affiliation or formal alliance. But politically, his presence places him in the same room with influential opposition figures at a moment when efforts are underway to explore greater coordination among anti-government forces.