When delegates of eligible youth organizations go to the polls in October this year to replace outgoing President Banica Stephenie Elliott, the future of approximately 2.1 million young Liberians will be on the line. For many reasons, this year's Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) election is arguably the most important of our lifetime. Its significance goes far beyond the rhetoric of yesterday and the statistics of today.
Liberia currently boasts a population of 5.2 million people, with youth -- widely considered the fulcrum of the country's post-war democracy -- making up 41.7% (LISGIS, 2020). That's approximately 2.1 million.
These are not just numbers or statistics. These are lives. Our lives.
Therefore, it is safe to say that the destiny of millions will be decided through a secret ballot. And at the end of the day, one of us must lead by October. But beyond the act of voting, the most fundamental question remains: To whom do we entrust our future? Duku Jallah or Mandela Gbollie? These choices represent two starkly different futures: one is a disaster ready to happen; the other, is a redemption in waiting. There is no in-between.
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Duku Jallah's Candidacy: A Disaster Ready to Happen!
On one hand, we have Duku Jallah, former Head of Secretariat at FLY. While Duku has displayed commitment to his candidacy, one must question whether that same commitment will persist if personal interest supersedes collective aspiration.
For example, on August 31, 2023, just 9 months after being inducted into office on November 22, 2022, Duku resigned from his position as Secretary General of FLY to support President George Weah's re-election bid, even though the young people had given him a mandate of 3 years.
According to sources close to him, he allegedly accepted financial incentives from the previous government in exchange for his resignation--a decision many interpret as a betrayal of the youth's cause.
He placed himself above the interests of the young people of Liberia. Ola Rotimi once wrote, "When a leader places himself above his people, he is prepared to gamble with their lives." This cannot be ignored.
We do not question Duku's right to political affiliation. However, his abrupt resignation left the Secretariat in disarray, like a sheep without a shepherd. Now, he seeks to become FLY President. But leadership at this level demands consistency, and this is where Duku falls short.
American actor Denzel Washington once said, "Without commitment, you'll never start, but more importantly, without consistency, you'll never finish." Duku may have started, but he has not demonstrated the consistency to finish. If offered a similar political incentive again, would he resign once more? His record suggests he might.
Some argue that this election concerns the presidency, not the Secretariat. But when rain falls on a leopard, does it wash off its spots? No.
Beyond inconsistency and betrayal, Duku's honesty is also in question. He once congratulated President Elliott on her FLY victory, describing the election process as free, fair, and transparent. Yet now, with the CDC in opposition and his own candidacy underway, he accuses FLY of conducting historically fraudulent elections "behind closed doors." This abrupt reversal smacks of desperation, not principle.
Even if Duku Jallah were to offer innovation, it would come at a steep price. Honesty, consistency, and youth advocacy would be sacrificed. A people-centered approach would elude the very institution tasked with representing Liberia's young generation.
Ernest Duku Jallah's candidacy is a disaster ready to happen. And the young people of Liberia have a moral responsibility to abort this menace.
Mandela Gbollie: Redemption in Waiting
Mandela Gbollie enters this process with a reputation for integrity. He has served diligently in multiple roles, including as Project Lead on a World Bank project with Elsie Renewable Power Solutions and as Communication Officer for SOS Children's Village--the largest NGO in Liberia serving vulnerable children and at-risk families. His leadership style reflects innovation, consistency, youth-driven policy, and people-centered governance.
More importantly, Mandela's candidacy offers Liberia's youth a rare opportunity for real change at the national level. It represents a decisive break from a tradition of selective opportunism that has turned FLY into little more than a platform for political exhibitionism. Make no mistake--this election is not about Mandela Gbollie. It is about ordinary young Liberians. And Gbollie understands this.
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His policy framework, aptly titled "Youth Empowerment," emphasizes that his election would create only one true winner: the young people of Liberia. He recognizes that this is not a moment for self-aggrandizement but a mandate to rescue the hopes of millions.
For those who believe that FLY must break away from the mediocrity of the past, they now have their own Mandela. One can only hope they draw the same inspiration from him as South African youth once drew from Nelson Mandela. Mandela Gbollie promises to deliver a Federation that is innovative, honest, transparent, youth-driven, and people-centered. If elected, his leadership would not only redeem FLY as an institution but also uplift the lives of over 2.1 million young Liberians.
Mandela Gbollie's candidacy is, without a doubt, redemption in waiting. And the young people must ensure he wins this year's election.
About the Author
Abraham Soko Sheriff is a young Liberian who hails from Tewor District, Grand Cape Mount.
