Political observers say the public exchange between the Dobayou (left) and Cllr Gbala (right) is emblematic of a wider identity struggle within the CDC.
Monrovia – Tensions are escalating within the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) as a public dispute between two of its high-ranking members, Randall Massaquoi Dobayou II and Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala, brings internal divisions to the forefront.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
Dobayou, who serves as CDC’s National Deputy Secretary General for Records and Research and previously held the position of Deputy Executive Director at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has publicly accused Cllr. Gbala of political opportunism.
Using his Facebook platform, Dobayou branded Gbala a practitioner of “stomach-infrastructure politics” — a phrase implying personal ambition over principled ideology.
“Fish swimming in water is not news. When a dog uses family planning, that’s news. Cllr. Kanio Bai flapping for stomach infrastructure is not news. When he stands for something, then that’s the news,” Dobayou posted in reaction to Gbala’s recent praise of President Joseph Boakai.
He further alleged that Gbala, who chairs CDC’s Policy Response Committee, is leveraging the CDC brand to build his own political capital while subtly aligning with the ruling Unity Party.
In another sharp critique posted on June 28, Dobayou wrote, “UP now want the stomach-migrant to leave CDC. They want him to be an inside trader while he uses CDC to increase his political capital as a survivor ‘realist’.
Dobayou also questioned Gbala’s contributions to the party’s intellectual and policy development, claiming he has authored no policy papers and rarely used internal party forums to raise his views.
He accused Gbala of being performative, citing his praise for President Boakai’s decision to rebury former President Samuel K. Doe as politically self-serving.
In response, Cllr. Gbala defended his political posture and reaffirmed his commitment to the CDC. However, he maintained that good governance must be acknowledged across party lines.
“As a bonafide CDCian and in my own name, if and when JNB does what is right for Liberia, I will vigorously acknowledge it. May the insults continue,” Gbala stated on Facebook.
Gbala called President Boakai’s reburial of the former president a laudable move aimed at national healing and reconciliation. “May we continue this conversation – not as rivals of memory, but as co-authors of a more just and unified Liberia,” he wrote.
He also raised questions about recent strategic decisions made within the CDC, particularly what he described as the sidelining of Representative Thomas Fallah in favor of former House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. “Did our party, the CDC, politically sabotage itself by sacrificing Fallah for Koffa?” he questioned in another Facebook post.
Political observers have interpreted the public exchange between the two men as emblematic of a wider identity struggle within the CDC. On one side are party traditionalists like Dobayou, demanding strict loyalty and a united front; on the other are moderates like Gbala, advocating for policy introspection and a willingness to commend rival leadership when warranted.
