Monrovia – Liberia’s Vice President Joseph Boakai has just named the Speaker of the House of Representative Emmanuel James Nuquay(District #5, Margibi County) as his running mate in the upcoming presidential elections.
Born on October 24, 1968, Speaker Nuquay was elected to the House of Representative as an Independent but later formed the PUP.
Prior to his elections to the National Legislature, Nuquay served as Accounts Trainee with the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC), as Accounts Clerk with the Ministry of Rural Development and also as a Rubber Broker.
He later served as an Accounts Clerk with the Ministry of Rural Development.
The Speaker also served as Quality Assurance Officer and Quality Control Supervisor with the Weala Rubber Corporation.
Speaker Nuquay holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Liberia and is a graduate of the Louise Arthur Grimes School of Law.
Prior to becoming speaker, Speaker Nuquay served on the House’s Human & Civil Rights as Co-Chairman and on the Judiciary Committee as Co-Chairman as well as the committee on Investment & Concession and Labor.
While Speaker Nuquay is expected to bring a sizeable number of votes from Margibi County, which recently surpassed Grand Bassa into fifth with 144,604 as the county with the most number of registered voters, according to the National Elections Commission, he comes with some baggage.
Montserrado County has the highest number of registered voters with some 733, 312, Nimba County is next in line with 257,780 followed by Bong with the third highest number of registered voters with 195, 407; Lofa County with 149, 902 is fourth and Grand Bassa with 139,833 is sixth.
In the 2005 elections, 1,012,673 registered voters cast their votes. While in 2011, turnout was recorded at 1,288,716.
Speaker Nuquay reportedly has close ties to Lebanese businessman George Abi Jaoudi, owner of the controversial Farmington Hotel.
It was under Speaker Nuquay’s watch that the lower house recently overwhelmingly passed the bill granting the hotel a 30-year tax break.
Some lawmakers credit Speaker Nuquay as making the pitch to the President Pro Temp of the Senate in a bid to rush the bill through.
The Senate is currently deliberating on the matter which is facing immense criticisms from a cross section of Liberians.