Monrovia — Nimba County Senator Samuel Kogar has intensified his political confrontation with Vice President Jeremiah Koung, reigniting an internal power struggle that has gripped Liberia's vote-rich Nimba County since the death of its long-standing political godfather, Senator Prince Yormie Johnson in November 2024.
Addressing residents in District 7 over the weekend, Senator Kogar declared that his political ambitions were based on conviction and not fear or favoritism. "The people said Samuel Kogar will replace Prince Johnson -- will you allow me to be disgraced? No," Senator Kogar told the crowd amid loud applause. "I won't do scary things to protect a job."
Senator Kogar dismissed claims that his rise to the Senate in 2025 was orchestrated by Vice President Koung or other political figures. "I'm seeing other people bragging that they made me Senator. That's not true," he said. "The people of Nimba respected me and made me Senator. I am not afraid -- I will always speak out when something hurts me. If you do something good, let God appreciate you, not yourself. What makes a man angry makes him speak."
His comments were widely seen as a direct response to Vice President Koung, who has long been regarded as Senator Kogar's political benefactor and the presumed successor to the late Senator Prince Johnson.
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Johnson's death in November 2024 left behind a deep political void in Nimba County, one that neither Senator Kogar nor Vice President Koung has managed to fill. Once the uncontested political strongman of Liberia's second-most populous county, Johnson's absence has triggered an intense power struggle for influence and legitimacy.
Replacing Prince Johnson has proven difficult. His combination of wartime legacy, charisma, and deep grassroots connections made him a towering figure in Liberian politics. A former warlord turned political kingmaker, Johnson commanded unmatched loyalty from Nimba's estimated 620,000 residents.
His endorsement was often decisive in presidential elections, giving Nimba the reputation of being Liberia's swing region.
The growing standoff between Senator Kogar and Vice President Koung reflects the internal fractures within the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), the political party founded by Johnson. Initially, Vice President Koung appeared to have consolidated control of the party when he rose from Representative to Senator and eventually to Vice President under President Joseph Boakai.
His endorsement of Kogar during the 2025 senatorial by-election was interpreted as proof of his continued dominance in Nimba's politics, and Kogar's victory was celebrated as an affirmation of MDR unity.
However, the relationship between the two leaders began to unravel following Vice President Koung's decision to select Kortor Kwagrue as the MDR candidate for the District 5 by-election without Kogar's input. The senator viewed the move as a deliberate attempt to marginalize him and weaken the principles of internal democracy within the party.
Since then, Senator Kogar has publicly criticized what he describes as Vice President Koung's "authoritarian control" over the party. He accused Vice President Koung of manipulating appointments and bypassing the county's legislative caucus in favor of his loyalists under the Friends of Jeremiah Koung (FOJ) movement. Senator Kogar also alleged that the Vice President was overstepping his authority in local governance and disregarding elected leaders.
"Some people stay silent because they want to keep power and play sycophancy," Senator Kogar said. "As senator, I can tell the President I can't work with someone, and he will listen. The President needs me more than them."
Senator Kogar also challenged Vice President Koung's growing identification with county politics rather than his national role as Vice President. "The Vice President is not the first of Nimba; he's the second of the Republic," Kogar stated. "No other vice president in Liberia has been reduced to a county figure. That's wrong. You can be the referees, then you want to be football players. But as a leader, I must speak the truth. If he wants a face-off, I'm ready," he said Saturday during a Peace and Reconciliation gathering in Nimba.
Although he acknowledged his traditional relationship with Vice President Koung, Senator Kogar maintained that honesty must come before loyalty. "Traditionally, Jeremiah Koung is my son, and I respect him," he said. "But as a leader, I must speak the truth. If he wants a face-off, I'm ready."
Senator Kogar's statements have drawn mixed reactions from Nimba's political leaders and elders, with some condemning his tone while others called for unity. Representative Dorwohn Twain Gleekia of District 6 reacted strongly, saying, "We will respond to you shortly Sen. Kogar. [Ehn] you say supporting you was a myth. Wait and see! We made you so you must respect us!"
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Senator Nya D. Twayen, Jr. took a more reconciliatory stance, saying, "Nimba is like a family tree. The branches of Nimba County's family tree may sway in different directions, but its roots remain firm, strong and unbreakable; like the roots of a tree, Nimba County's family ties may bend under pressure, but they will never break."
However, the Traditional Coordinator of Nimba County, Melvin Gbeila Duo, condemned Senator Kogar's recent remarks as disrespectful to the elders. Duo accused the senator of using offensive language when referring to traditional leaders. "We have already made him who he is today. Referring to us as 'so-called elders' is a serious disrespect," Duo said. "The Vice President deserves respect, and Senator Kogar should have met with us before going public. Since he now calls us 'so-called elders,' we will not stand by him in times to come when he needs us as elders."
As the struggle for control intensifies, observers say the battle between Senator Kogar and Vice President Koung goes beyond personal rivalry--it represents a defining moment for Nimba County's political future and the challenge of replacing a figure whose influence and legacy remain deeply entrenched in the county's political consciousness.
