Monrovia – The writing may have come on the wall for Senator Steve Zargo the moment the opposition Liberty Party lost its bid to reclaim the Foya District No. 1 Lofa, County seat in this year’s legislative by-elections – a seat they had contested and won in the past two elections.
Report by Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
The vacancy left by the death of late Representative Eugene Fallah Kparka was won by Francis Sakila Nyumalin of the Union of Liberian Democrats(ULD). Liberty Party only managed a 7th place finish.
Voinjama Citing Sparks Rumors
Nyumalin won by accumulating 3,149 votes (32.0%) compared to Liberty Party’s 410 votes which represented only 4.2% of valid votes cast.
At a program marking the extension of appreciation by the People of Lofa County to the counties that have endorsed the presidential bid of Boakai and the Lofa County Campaign launch, Saturday in Voinjama, Zargo surprised many by his presence amongst supporters of Boakai.
As photographs made the rounds on the social media Facebook, it didn’t take long for UP supporters to began baiting their Liberty Party rivals that they had snatched a key member of the party into Vice President Boakai’s corner.
Zargo, according to Liberty Party officials had placed a call the night before to Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence, notifying her that he had been asked to attend the program in Boakai’s honor, planned to show appreciation to the many endorsements he has received in his bid for the presidency.
The Senator according to two sources reportedly told Senator Zargo that it would not be a good idea for him to attend but it appears the decision had been made long before Saturday.
One party official confided to FrontPageAfrica Saturday that there have been growing fears within the party that Senator Zargo may be heading out of the party. However, a little over a week ago, at a Brumskine endorsement, Zargo dismissed those fears, declaring: “If anybody think he’s leaving Liberty Party, they lying.”
‘I’m Still With My Party’
When FrontPageAfrica contacted the Senator via phone late Saturday night, the Senator quickly dismissed reports that he had jumped ship, telling FPA: Look, this is a traditional county. I was invited to attend and I did not say a word. I’m still with my party. I’m still with Liberty Party.”
But in the weeks leading into the start of the campaign season, party officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told FrontPageAfrica Saturday that Zargo had been refusing or reluctant to campaign, afraid that if he goes for re-election he may fall prey to the same pressures that cost the party to lose the District No. 1 seat.
But even now, party officials say his presence at the Boakai launch has given Boakai supporters bragging rights.
Party officials say they are disappointed although they are not expecting to win Lofa, they at least plan to give Boakai a solid fight in his backyard.
“It is no secret that Zargo has been under pressure. Perhaps he fears that the Lofa people might go against him when he is up for re-election as many have been accusing him of betraying them.”
LP officials are however speaking with quiet confidence that the Zargo sighting at the Boakai launch does not change the game for their party’s ticket.
“We know we can’t win Lofa but we can put up a fight.”
Zargo, had come under pressure from the party following the District No. 1 loss. He was expected to deliver the seat to the party.
The Senator would tell FrontPageAfrica shortly after that Lofa County is a unique with six local dialects.
“District one is exclusively Kissi where the Vice President comes from, the Defence Minister and Senator George Tengbeh and you know what that election meant to the UP and the Vice President, so to say I did not win the district for the LP makes me unpopular is an unfair statement.”
At the time, Zargo laid the blame on inter-party factor, culture and traditional factors as a key reason for the loss.
“The district is exclusively Kissi and this contestation was among the Kissi – my uncles per our tradition – and I am far away so to come to Foya and campaign against my uncles was an uphill task.”
It is for those very reasons, political observers say, Zargo may have envision ahead of his own re-election in a couple of years,
Zargo, at the time also explained that the Liberty Party’s candidate was simply unprepared for the elections.
“Our candidate was not prepared to replace Eugene Fallah Kparka neither did we in the Liberty Party know that Kparkar would have died, but I assure you if it was Kparkar we were carrying for the third time he would have won.”
A Big Deal
Zargo asked officials and members of the Liberty Party to accept the result and move on.
“Let’s accept it as it is and prepare for next election, but that shouldn’t be a yard stick to tell whether a lawmaker is strong or not.
While some Liberty Party officials are playing down the implications of a potential Senator Zargo’s endorsement of Boakai, political observers say it could be a big deal and a major psychological blow to the opposition party.
Zargo, a native of Foya, the most populated district in the county with an estimated 100,000 citizens rose to prominence following his shocking win over the incumbent Sumo Kupee in the 2014 Senatorial elections, obtaining the total votes of 12,797 representing 26.2 percent.
As chair of the Senate Committee on Defense and Security he has been vocal on a number of pertinent issue, notably of late, the Global Witness bribery saga, when he recently warned actors especially those in the Executive branch of Government, responsible to enforce the law to be mindful in handling the report with specific reference to the rule of law and public order.
For now, Senator Zargo’s movements in the waning weeks of the campaign season could prove pivotal to the opposition Liberty party’s play to give Boakai a fight in his hometown.