MONROVIA – As political actors are readying to get the stage set ahead of the 2029 Presidential and Legislative Elections, the call for unity is now at the forehead of the opposition bloc, but with only one of the key parties expressing critical view of how the arrangement is being done, and that’s the National Patriotic Party (NPP).
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
The NPP, a former ruling party and co-ruling establishment, declined endorsing the called opposition roundtable meeting convened by the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
The NPP’s response to the opposition gathering and reply from the CDC signals of a souring relationship between the two political allies.
NPP Not Respected
Atty. George Sylvester Mulbah, Chairman of the NPP; a party which led the country from 1997-2003 and then awarded the Vice President position from 2017-2023 in a similar arrangement of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government, contends that the party is not being accorded due respect in the process.
Mulbah asserted that the NPP is prepared to support a broader opposition alliance, provided the party receives respect and meaningful participation in the alliance’s decision-making process.
The NPP Chairman emphasized that his party is no longer willing to operate as a follower, insisting that it wants to play a significant role in shaping decisions within any opposition coalition.
While stating that NPP remains open to working with like-minded opposition parties, Chairman Mulbah warned that mutual respect would be critical to sustaining any political collaboration.
In the view of Atty. Mulbah, the manner and form the invitation was carved to the NPP angles on reducing the well-recognized political party to an “auxiliary” of another party for electoral purposes, alleging that it was the case of the previous collaboration with the CDC.
‘Sour Relationship’
During the reign of the CDC government, Atty. Mulbah averred that there was a sour or strained relationship between their political leader, former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor and former President George Weah, something he narrated the VP for a protracted period of years in the leadership.
Unnecessary Grandstanding, Koijee Replies Mulbah
In an apparent move to “set the record straight,” the Secretary of the CDC, former Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Tamba Koijee, dismissed claims by the NPP Chairman.
In a write-up on his Facebook page, the former Monrovia City Mayor clarified that at no time did the Congress for Democratic Change extend an invitation to the National Patriotic Party or its national leadership to participate in the proposed opposition roundtable discussion as claimed by its Chairman.
Koijee intoned that any announcement of rejecting an invitation that was never extended amounts to unnecessary grandstanding and political posturing.
For the avoidance of doubt, a few outstanding, uncompromising individual members of the NPP were invited in their individual capacities. Neither the NPP as an institution nor its National Chairman, Mr. George Mulbah, was invited.
“The National Chairman should therefore immediately cease and desist from creating the impression that the CDC sought the institutional participation of the NPP and was subsequently rejected,” writes the CDC SG.
CDC SG Raises Red Flag Of Mulbah’s Independence Over Alleged Employment With VP Koung
The CDC chief scribe alleged that the NPP Chairman is cut in the middle of neutrality on grounds that he is reportedly working in the office of Vice President Jeremiah Koung.
Based on the alleged employment with the Vice President, he questions the NPP Chairman’s independence, timing and motivation of statements directed against opposition solidarity.
“Even more troubling was the response of the NPP leadership when its own distinguished Standard Bearer and former Vice President, Chief Dr. Jewel Cianeh Howard-Taylor, faced serious criminal allegations and incarceration. At that defining moment, the statement attributed to the party leadership was, in our view, one of the weakest responses in the history of a party once renowned for its fighting spirit, political potency and revolutionary character.”
“The mighty Congress for Democratic Change has no room for political distractions, manufactured controversies or attempts to fracture genuine opposition solidarity. We will remain vigilant and respond firmly, lawfully and politically to any effort to undermine legitimate democratic cooperation among opposition forces.”
Atty. Mulbah Fires Back At CDC’s SG, Thrashes Employment With VP Office
Reaction to the allegation attributed to Mr. Koijee regarding his employment with the Office of the Vice President, Chairman Mulbah termed the information as a product of falsehood that lacks all elements of truth.
Mulbah threw out an open challenge to the CDC chief scribe to go beyond just posting and use the controlling law – Freedom of Information Act to subpoena the payroll of the VP office.
“As a licensed lawyer I am qualified to provide legal service for anyone including the Vice President if he so requests. But this is not the case now. On the issue of NPP rejecting invitations, let me submit and say during my monthly podcast journalists wanted to know whether the invitation of other stalwarts of NPP mean the party will participate in the CDC round table? In response I said no because our party constitution clearly established the procedure of inviting the party. I was also cleared to remind our Partisans that this is the same strategy Congress used to keep our party in crisis for six years,” Atty. Mulbah clarified.
Carry Your CDC And Leave Our NPP
On the incarceration of the NPP Standard Bearer, Atty. Mulbah explained that the CDC through Koijee reached out to him for a joint press statement, which he declined to do so that the “false claim” of an existing coalition won’t be validated.
Mulbah contended that the so-called weak statement resulted to granting of a compassionate leave to the former Vice President.
“You talked about the issuance of weak statement but our weak requested government to grant compassionate leave for our SB and it was honor.
SG Koijee, why didn’t you use the strong statement to change the legal opinion that evicted you since strong statement could have an impact on judicial opinion? Stop the Showmanship. In a reasonable man standard what you can’t do for yourself you can’t do it for others. You carry your CDC and leave our NPP.”
“Jefferson didn’t you place a call to me a day after [MadamTaylor] was arrested and pleaded with me for NPP and CDC to issue a joint statement and I rejected it?
I rejected it because to do so will validate your false claims as Coalition. Jefferson are you not the same person in 2023 unilaterally seized the candidates registration fees of USD 103,000 against my advice as the then Coalition Secretary General who signed all the candidates nomination forms?” Mulbah asked.
“I am encouraging everyone wishing to verify these allegations to contact Atty. J. Allison Barco to confirm the truthfulness of my assertion. Do you think I am a fool that easy to forget all of these ill treatments? As long as former President Weah continues to use character like you as a face of the Congress Liberian of sound minds will never forget the past.”
Several NPP Stalwarts Endorse Opposition Despite Rejection From Party
The core of matter remains, the NPP itself seems divided and fragile.
During the weekend’s gathering of opposition leaders and supporters, a group under the umbrella of Concerned partisans of the National Patriotic Party (NPP), comprising members of the party’s National Executive Committee, endorsed opposition unity and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC)-called consultative meeting.
The group called on opposition parties to put aside personal ambitions, resolve differences through dialogue and work toward a broad-based platform capable of providing a credible alternative.
The partisans criticized individuals within the NPP whose statements and conduct they claimed, have contributed to the challenges facing former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor and the party.
They furthered that the NPP is bigger than any individual and urged its members, opposition leaders and supporters to remain calm, focused and committed to democratic principles.
The statement, according to OK FM Reporter Nyantee Togba, was signed by Mr. Emmanuel Goll, National Chairman of the Concerned Partisans of the NPP and national vice chairman for international affairs, and approved by Partisan C. Neileh Daitouah, vice chairman for inter-party affairs.
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