NIMBA COUNTY – For nearly two decades, one name dominated Nimba County’s political landscape: Prince Yormie Johnson. His influence was so absolute that no major political decision in the county occurred without his blessing. Whether as a kingmaker, deal-broker, or spoiler, Johnson’s grip on Nimba politics turned elections into exercises in loyalty more than competition.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
But on April 22, for the first time in nearly two decades, Nimba heads into an election without its self-styled political godfather.
Johnson’s death on November 28, 2024, has left a vacuum that no single politician has yet been able to fill. His departure from the scene has cracked open the county’s tightly managed political structure and set off a scramble for dominance, an open contest not just for a Senate seat, but for control of Nimba’s political future.
At the center of this realignment is Vice President Jeremiah Koung, himself a political product of Johnson’s mentorship. Once viewed as Johnson’s protégé, Koung is now testing the waters to see whether he can step out of the shadows and into the godfather role.
In a recent statement, Vice President Koung emphasized the significance of the upcoming election: “This election is critical. Honestly, I wasn’t even planning to campaign for anyone. I felt I should step aside. But some people want to act as if Prince Johnson left no legacy. Prince trained us—we are here. And I believe that wherever he is, he’s watching and saying, ‘Let me see what this child can do.”
Koung’s endorsement of Samuel Kogar, a sitting lawmaker and candidate of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), Johnson’s old party, signals a calculated move to consolidate control over Nimba and prepare for a possible presidential run in 2029.
A victory for Kogar wouldn’t just be about a legislative seat. It would be a symbolic passing of the torch, a way for Koung to inherit the late Johnson’s vast political network.
However, that effort is not without risk. Kogar’s political record, including party shifts and involvement in controversial legislative maneuvers, raises questions about whether he represents continuity or opportunism.
And should he win, his departure from the House would trigger another costly by-election, possibly frustrating an electorate weary of repeated trips to the polls.
On the other side of this high-stakes contest is Edith Gongloe-Weh, a seasoned public servant and the most prominent female candidate in the race. She has long sought a Senate seat but was consistently thwarted by Johnson, either through direct opposition or strategic alliances meant to block her path.
Now, with her chief political adversary gone, her campaign is drawing energy from a growing segment of Nimba voters, particularly women, who view this election as her moment.
In support of Gongloe-Weh, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf remarked Thursday: “I am proud to stand with the women of Liberia in supporting female candidates for the Legislature. Liberia must not be left behind while other countries are advancing gender equality and empowering women in leadership. Anyone who opposes this progress is standing in the way of global development. That’s why I’m supporting Edith Gongloe-Weh. She served as Superintendent during my administration with distinction — showing commitment, dedication, and integrity. She deserves our support in this by-election.”
Former Vice President Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, who leads the National Patriotic Party (NPP), has echoed that support: “I fully endorse the wise and strategic decision of the Concerned Partisans and NEC members to back Madam Edith Gongloe-Weh. At this critical point in our county’s history, I call on all NPP supporters—especially the women of Nimba County—to rally behind her. Electing Edith is not just a step forward for the county, but a move toward inclusive, visionary leadership.”
Gongloe-Weh has her own baggage. Allegations of financial mismanagement during her time as Nimba’s Superintendent still linger, and her past poor performances in key districts threaten to once again stall her momentum. Still, the absence of Johnson could give her a rare opening in a race that might have otherwise been closed off.
The rest of the field, while unlikely to win, reflects the broader fragmentation of Nimba’s political base in the post-Johnson era. From Garrison Yealue and R. Matenckay Tingban to Mark Gblinwon, George Parkinson Gonpu, and Torbor Tee Wonokay Farngalo, the diversity of voices and agendas is striking.
These candidates, while lacking the reach of Kogar or Gongloe-Weh, are indicators of a changing electorate, one that is increasingly disillusioned with political dynasties and open to alternative leadership narratives.
Ultimately, the April 22 by-election is more than a vote. It’s a reckoning. Nimba is undergoing a political identity crisis, wrestling with questions of continuity versus change, loyalty versus independence, and traditional power versus technocratic reform. In the absence of the late Johnson, the seat is no longer just about representation. It’s about legacy.
Who inherits the mantle of leadership in Nimba is no longer predetermined. That decision, for the first time in a generation, rests entirely in the hands of the voters.
And in that uncertainty lies the most profound legacy of the late Johnson’s absence, the return of true political competition to Nimba County.
