Nimba County – As the April 22 senatorial by-election in Nimba County approaches, lawmakers from the county are divided over their support for candidates, with significant backing for Representative Samuel Kogar, the likely contender to fill the late Senator Prince Yormie Johnson’s seat.
By Franklin Doloquee, [email protected]
Among the nine members of the county’s legislative delegation, six, including Senator Nya Twayen Jr., are backing Representative Samuel Kogar for the Senate seat. However, two lawmakers are supporting different candidates.
Representative Musa Hassan Bility is backing his own candidate, B. Mack Gbliwon, who represents the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), while District Number Nine Representative Taa Wongbay is expected to endorse Madam Edith Google-Wehyee, a former superintendent and the only female candidate in the race.
Sources have indicated that this division will persist beyond the by-election, which has already become a point of contention.
Lawmakers from Nimba County are reportedly set to continue their conflict, regardless of the election outcome. This long-standing tension among county representatives has roots in past political alliances and rivalries.
For instance, the six lawmakers supporting Kogar were earlier aligned with Majority Bloc Speaker Richard Koon, while Representatives Musa Hassan Bility and Taa Wongbay stood on the opposing side.
The dispute also extends to party affiliations, with some lawmakers opposed to Bility’s newly formed Citizens Movement for Change (CMC). These lawmakers view the Movement for Democracy and Reconciliation (MDR), the late Senator Prince Johnson’s party, as the county’s traditional political establishment.
According to insiders, even if Kogar wins the by-election, the internal discord will continue. There are concerns that Kogar, if elected, will not align with Representatives Bility and Wongbay, further deepening the rift among the lawmakers.
The political tensions were further highlighted in a recent closed-door meeting between Nimba lawmakers and Vice President Jeremiah Koung. During this meeting, the Vice President publicly announced his support for Kogar’s senatorial bid, calling on all lawmakers to rally behind him.
However, this endorsement has only fueled further division, particularly with Bility, who has criticized Koung’s involvement in the race.
Bility has expressed concerns over Koung’s backing of Kogar, emphasizing that, as the highest-ranking official from Nimba County, the Vice President should remain neutral in the election, rather than showing preference for a single candidate. Bility’s comments suggest ongoing tensions between the Vice President and some lawmakers, particularly those aligned with the CMC.
The Vice President’s support for Kogar is believed to be a strategic move as he prepares for the 2029 general elections, aiming to solidify his position in the Gio region.
However, the decision has drawn criticism from some quarters, with allegations that the Vice President’s office is dominated by the Gio tribe, at the expense of other ethnic groups in the county. These concerns have fueled frustration among some Nimbaians, who claim that the county’s diverse tribes have not been fairly represented in the government.
As the by-election draws nearer, the political landscape in Nimba County remains tense, with lawmakers and voters divided along tribal and political lines. Despite the uncertainty, Kogar’s bid for the Senate remains the focal point of the county’s political debate.