Following the closure of political campaign for the much-publicized tension-packed Senatorial By-Election in Nimba County, Namibians will now go to the poll to elect one among seven candidates deemed suitable to fill the vacancy in the Liberian Senate.
The Nimba County By-Election is necessitated by Article 37 of the 1986 Liberian Constitution contingent on the death of doyen Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, alias “PYJ.”
Article 37 of the Liberian Constitution states that: “In the event of a vacancy in the Legislature caused by death, resignation, expulsion or otherwise, the presiding officer shall within 30 days notify the Elections Commission thereof. The Elections Commission shall not later than 90 days thereafter cause a by election to be held; provided that where such vacancy occurs within 90 days prior to the holding of general elections, the filling of the vacancy shall await the holding of such general elections.”
Accordingly, the country’s electoral body – the National Elections Commission (NEC) will conduct the process simultaneously across all nine political districts of the county as all seven candidates are vetted by their employers (voters).
Among the many candidates qualified by the Commission, one of the longest serving lawmakers, Nimba County Electoral District #5 Representative, Samuel Kogar, will contest the ensuing election on the ticker of Nimba’s most popular political party, the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR).
Other candidates to face Rep. Kogar include: Lone female Edith Gongloe-Weh (Independent), Garrison Yealue (Independent), Mack Gblinwon of Musa Bility’s Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), former District #9 Representative, Richard Matenogay Tingban of the Vision for Liberia’s Transformation (VOLT), George Gonpu of African Democratic Movement (ADMIL) and Victor Fangalu (Independent).
As per their political records, four candidates are new comers, while three are names that had won or lost in previous elections in the county. Rep. Samuel Kogar, for the record, has contested four major elections that include three Representative Elections and a Senatorial By-Election, when he lost out to Nya Twehyan in 2024 to fill the vacancy created by election of Vice President Jeremiah P Koung.
But going into this race, Rep. Kogar is said have worked seriously behind the scene to get elected by the people of Nimba County. Some political pundits are of the view that the Rep. Kogar still enjoys the confidence of his people and might be elected for the highest political seat in his county.
Madam Edith Gongloe-Weh has contested three senatorial elections losing twice to the late Prince Yormie Johnson and to former Senator Thomas Grupee. Despite losing on these occasions, the former Nimba County Superintendent Madam Edith Gongloe-Weh, remains one of the main forces as she had always finished second to all of the winners from the time she opted to test the race.
Many believe that despite losing in these elections, the former Liberty Party(LP) candidate still maintains great charge in some parts of the county. Truly, Edith’s accumulated votes in Nimba has been the highest votes that one has lost at the level of the Legislature.
Going into this Senatorial By-election, Madam Gongloe-Weh depends highly on self- popularity and the cordial relationship that she has maintained with her people over the years. Political pundits believe that Madam Gongloe-Weh poses a serious threat to Rep. Kogar’s election and that she also stands the chance of winning if things go her way.
Cllr. Garrison Yealue (Independent) has contested in three elections (two representative and one senatorial by-election). He won on one occasion – in the Representative seat for Electoral District #4 in the 2011 Presidential and Legislative Elections, but was defeated in 2017 and the 2024 Senatorial By-Election.
Cllr. Yealue, who also served as Chairperson of the Governance Commission (GC) during regime of the immediate former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), is earmarked as a serious contender in the race having served as one of the lead campaigners for the CDC in the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections, that still remains fresh in the memories of Nimbaians.
For R. Martenokay Tingban, he has participated in three Representative elections for District #9, but was only able to win the seat in 2011. And now he is opting for the county’s highest political seat with hope that he can cause a political upset.
It can be recalled that during his days in the 54th Legislature, former Rep. Tingban created/formed several political alliances in some parts of the country, though that didn’t reflect in the outcome his election result in 2017. However, since then, former Rep. Tingban is said to have worked assiduously in his native land – engaging in major projects across the county.
And though new, another person of interest is Mack Gblinwon the country’s fast growing Citizens Movement for Change (CMC). Since the formation of the CMC, the party has been fast moving in rivaling the County’s mostly popular party – MDR of Vice President Jeremiah Koung. Now that he is going into this race on the ticket of the CMC, the candidacy of Mr. Gblinwon cannot be underestimated.
These plus two other notable names in persons of George Gonpu of African Democratic Movement (ADMIL) and Victor Fangalu (Independent), the ensuing By-election for Nimba poses to be another tough political battle and yet another test to the country’s democracy under the regime of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
The election became more contentious from the time top leaders of the county including Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung embarked on highlighting the infamous tribal politics into the process, thus leading race to now be hinged on allegiance. Basically, the harsh reality is that the election has made Namibians to now than ever before, be divided between the Dan (Gio) and Mah (Mano) tribes, from whence all the candidates come.
For instance, as analyzed by political pundits, Electoral District #1, which comprises the commercial hub Ganta, is mixed though the Manos are in dominant. District #2 has a huge Mano population. On the other hand, in District #3, in the Gbehlay-Geh region, which includes Karnplay, is predominantly Gio, while the Yarmien region, including Yekepa, is a Mano settlement.
As sourced from OK FM’s political reporter, Nyantee Togbe, Electoral District #4 is predominantly Gio, with a small Mano population within Gbor Chiefdom. He points out that Electoral District #5, Known as Buu-Yao, is an all-Gio district. Electoral District #6, which is include Tapitta, is a dominant Gio region.
District #7 is a mixed district of Mano, Gio, and a small Mandingo population in Bahn and Saclepea, while District #8 is an all-Mano region. And finally, District 9 contains both tribes Mano (in the Yarwein Mensonnon belt) and Gio (in the Doe belt).
