Counselor Tiawan Gongloe, the political leader of Liberia People's Party (LPP) has refuted claims that he masterminded the decision by some members of the party to endorse the candidacy of independent candidate for the Nimba County Senatorial By-election, Edith Gongloe-Weh, who is a sister of the political leader.
In a phone interview with the Daily Observer on April 2, Cllr. Gongloe said he has "no regrets "about the endorsement of Madam Gongloe-Weh. At the same time, he has dispelled insinuations that he had influenced other members of the party to endorse Madam Gongloe-Weh.
"Every member of the party has their opinion to choose who they want to endorse, especially where we are not fueling any candidate. My decision is personal," Cllr. Gongloe emphasized.
According to Gongloe, at no time did his endorsement of Madam Gongloe-Weh violate any provision of the Constitution of the Party.
Gongloe, however, disclosed that immediately after the 2023 elections, by the party's constitution, he is no more the political leader as alleged.
"I am a member like anyone else, and so I have all right to support whoever is a candidate for the Senatorial race in Nimba County," Gongloe noted.
He drew similarity with both of the Bush brothers and their parents, former President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush, who said in 2016 they did not vote for the Republican candidate, Donald J. Trump.
According to Gongloe, the Bushes were members of the Republican Party, who supported the Democrat candidate.
"This is the democracy we are following in Liberia, where you have the free will to endorse any candidate of your choice, which I did," Gongloe noted.
It can be recalled that LPP's Vice Chairman, Stephen Ricks, over the weekend posted on social media that the party had unanimously agreed to endorse Madam Gongloe-Weh after a lengthy meeting that was held during the afternoon hours of March 28, at the party's headquarters Congo Town.
"The party, LPP have officially agreed to endorse Madam Edith Gongloe Weh for the pending Senatorial by-election in Nimba county, which is slated for April 22,2025," Ricks said in the post.
"Partisans also agreed for the endorsement program of comrade Edith Gongloe Weh be held in Gompa City, Nimba County next week after the party has concluded all arrangements with Madam Edith Gongloe Weh, Senatorial candidate."
Hours after Ricks' announcement, an individual purporting to be the LPP's National Executive Council (NEC) released a statement on Sunday terming the information of Madam Gongloe-Weh pending endorsement as false and misleading. The claim, the statement noted, is entirely false, deceptive, and undermines the integrity and credibility of the LPP.
"The National Executive Committee of the Liberian People's Party strongly condemn the misleading information from Mr. Stephen Ricks, LPP's Vice Chairman for Operations," the statement, signed by the Chairman of the party, Major Tamba Samukai, Jr. noted. "The NEC of the LPP categorically refutes the recent pronouncement by Mr. Ricks that the party has endorsed Madam Edith Gongloe Weh's senatorial bid in Nimba County.
This claim is entirely false, deceptive, and undermines the integrity and credibility of the LPP."
Samukai indicated that the highest decision-making body, as per Article X Section I of the 1984 Constitution of the Party is the NEC or the National Congress of the Party, and at no time any of the two decided to endorse any candidate in the Nimba election.
"As a political party committed to transparency, respect for the rule of law, democratic values, and principled decision-making, we emphasize that any official endorsement of a candidate is to be made through the appropriate internal procedures and with the full consensus of the party leadership," he said. "At no point has the LPP endorsed Madam Edith Gongloe Weh for the Senatorial race in Nimba County, and any suggestion to the contrary is a deliberate misrepresentation of our party's stance."
But is Samukai the LPP's chairman? The Daily Observer also received a phone call saying that the current chairman of the LPP is none other than Prof. Yanqui Zayzay, under whose leadership the endorsement of Gongloe-Weh was secured.
There is a perception among some members of the LPP that their standard-bearer is contributing to internal discord within the party by exerting influence over certain high-ranking members to align with his preferences rather than seeking consensus from the National Executive Committee.
Cllr. Gongloe had earlier issued a personal statement in support of his sister, Gongloe-Weh, the sole female candidate in the senatorial race and his younger sister.
Emphasizing the importance of balanced representation in the Senate, Gongloe highlighted the historical lack of Senate representation from districts like Yarwin-Mehnsonnoh and Gbelley Geh in Nimba County.
Gongloe advocated for Edith Gongloe-Weh, a former Nimba County superintendent, as the suitable candidate to address this disparity and introduce inclusivity to the county's legislative makeup.
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He underscored the significance of having female representation in the Nimba Legislative Caucus, recommending that Nimba follow the lead of neighboring counties such as Bong, Grand Gedeh, and Grand Bassa in electing a woman to the legislature.
Gongloe emphasized that electing Edith Gongloe-Weh would not only promote geographic and gender diversity but also bring a capable and seasoned leader to serve the county effectively.
It was just days after Gongloe's statement that Ricks made the announcement about the party's move to endorse the standard bearer's sister.
However, Samukai noted that the action by Ricks is seeking to distort the Party's position and mislead the public.
"We urge our members, supporters, and the general public to rely on official communications from the Party's legitimate leadership regarding all political decisions and endorsements," Samukai said in a statement. "We remain steadfast in our mission to uphold the democratic process and will not allow any individual or group to misrepresent the party's position for personal or political gain."
He called on Ricks to retract his statement immediately and refrain from making any further false claims on behalf of the Party.
