By Lincoln G. Peters
Sinkor, Monrovia, June 4, 2026: Tension spilled into full view at the National Elections Commission (NEC) on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, as the bitter internal leadership battle rocking the Liberian People’s Party (LPP) took a dramatic turn during heated cross-examination by both the complaint and defense teams.
At the center of the unfolding political storm was Tamba Samukai, leader of a rival faction fighting for control of the party, who took the witness stand and defended the actions he and other party executives had taken against embattled LPP Chairman J. Yanqui Zaza.
But after hours of testimony and sharp cross-examination by lawyers representing Zaza, the NEC Hearing Officer brought the tense proceedings to a halt, adjourning the matter until Wednesday, June 3, 2026, as the commission weighs rival claims over the party’s leadership and constitutional authority.
The hearing is now being seen as a defining moment in a power struggle that has plunged the opposition party into deep uncertainty just as Liberia’s political landscape begins to shift toward the high-stakes 2029 general elections.
After completing his testimony, counsel for the Samukai faction, Cllr. Eric Kamara emerged before reporters, projecting confidence, saying the evidence laid before the commission had strengthened their case.
“As far as I am concerned, I am satisfied with the testimony my client gave,” Cllr. Kamara told reporters after the hearing.
He stressed that the original documents at the heart of the dispute remain in NEC’s custody and argued that those records—copies of which were displayed during the hearing—would ultimately decide the fate of the case.
According to him, the commission must now painstakingly compare the submissions and test the authenticity of the documents before delivering what could be a consequential ruling.
Asked whether his side would accept any outcome from the NEC, the lawyer stopped short of giving an unconditional endorsement, Cllr. Kamara said, “I cannot just say I will accept any outcome if I have not seen the ruling, but if the ruling goes in-depth and covers everything presented, then I will accept it.”
Also speaking after stepping down from the witness stand, Samukai insisted that his faction holds all relevant documents submitted to the NEC and maintained that the evidence would vindicate the actions taken by the party’s National Committee.
“We have all the documents presented to the NEC. They are legitimate documents and they will speak for themselves,” Samukai declared.
At the heart of the dispute before the NEC are conflicting interpretations of decisions allegedly adopted during a National Committee meeting held in Paynesville on November 15, 2024.
In a communication submitted to the Inter-Party Consultative Committee (IPCC), Samukai’s faction told electoral authorities that the meeting was constitutionally convened and attended by members of the National Executive Committee and County Congress Chairpersons, thereby meeting quorum requirements under the LPP’s 1984 constitution.
The group subsequently requested NEC recognition of disciplinary actions taken against Zaza and other officials accused of undermining party unity and violating constitutional procedures.
The faction has accused Zaza of what it described as “constitutional usurpation of authority,” institutional destabilization, and actions it says were prejudicial to party cohesion.
It also alleges that he attempted to remove duly elected officials without following the party’s established rules.
Samukai’s supporters further contend that Zaza was properly notified about the 2024 meeting but failed to attend, prompting organizers to proceed in his absence.
The LPP, closely associated with renowned human rights lawyer and former presidential candidate Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe, is now trapped in a bruising internal contest that threatens to erode its political relevance as national attention slowly turns toward the 2029 elections.
The Samukai faction has also challenged the legitimacy of a political retreat organized by Gongloe and his allies in Gbarnga, Bong County, describing the gathering as unconstitutional and unauthorized.
Documents cited by the Samukai camp indicated that he and several others were elected during the party’s Fifth National Congress in May 2022, a point the faction continues to use in asserting its authority.
With both camps digging in and neither showing any sign of surrender, the NEC’s eventual ruling could decide not only who controls the LPP but also whether the party can reunite and remain a meaningful force in Liberia’s shifting political arena.
Yet even after the bruising cross-examination, embattled Chairman Zaza and his lawyer declined to comment, despite repeated efforts by our reporter to obtain their response to the issues raised during the proceedings.
