- A deepening rift has erupted within the National Patriotic Party, with a group calling itself the Concerned NPP Partisans, claiming to comprise a majority of the party's National Executive Committee, breaking ranks with Chairman George Mulbah, backing former President George Weah's opposition talks and effectively branding Mulbah among the "Judas Iscariots" they accuse of undermining the NPP during a politically difficult period.
The public rebellion against Mulbah comes amid renewed efforts by Weah and his Congress for Democratic Change to unite opposition forces and exposes sharp divisions within the NPP over whether the party should rebuild political ties with its former coalition partner.
Over the weekend, Weah, political leader of the CDC, hosted an opposition roundtable at his Jamaica Resort office in Paynesville, bringing together senior opposition figures from different political parties. The meeting came amid the ongoing investigation of former Vice President and NPP political leader Jewel Howard-Taylor over her alleged connection to a reported US$317 million cocaine case.
Among those invited were Alexander B. Cummings, Rep. Musa Hassan Bility, Sen. Samuel G. Kogar and some NPP members in their individual capacities.
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Ahead of Saturday's discussions, Mulbah said the NPP would not participate in a CDC-sponsored opposition meeting even if formally invited, citing what he described as the party's negative experience during its six-year political alliance with the CDC.
Speaking to journalists Friday in Bong County, Mulbah said the treatment of the NPP within the former Coalition for Democratic Change had left the party unconvinced that it should return to the table with the CDC to discuss political cooperation.
"I acknowledge that some NPP members may be seen associating with the CDC, but the party respects their individual rights to participate in political activities," Mulbah said.
He stressed that individual NPP members attending CDC-sponsored meetings should not be interpreted as representing or formally endorsing the gathering on behalf of the party.
Mulbah said the NPP remains open to a broader opposition alliance, but only if the party is accorded respect and meaningful participation in decision-making. He insisted the NPP would no longer operate merely as a follower within an opposition coalition.
CDC Secretary-General Jefferson T. Koijee quickly pushed back, saying the NPP had never been formally invited to the roundtable and dismissing Mulbah's rejection as "grandstanding and political posturing."
"At no time and at no point did the Congress for Democratic Change extend an invitation to the National Patriotic Party or its national leadership to participate in the proposed opposition roundtable discussion," Koijee said. "Therefore, any announcement rejecting an invitation that was never extended amounts to unnecessary grandstanding and political posturing."
Koijee said some NPP members were invited in their individual capacities, but neither the NPP as an institution nor Mulbah as national chairman received an invitation.
"The National Chairman should therefore immediately cease and desist from creating the impression that the CDC sought the institutional participation of the NPP and was subsequently rejected," Koijee warned.
Koijee also questioned Mulbah's reported employment within the Office of Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, arguing that the relationship raises political questions about "the independence, timing and motivation" of his statements concerning opposition solidarity.
As the exchange between Mulbah and Koijee intensified, the Concerned NPP Partisans issued a statement directly contradicting Mulbah's position and throwing their support behind the CDC-led consultations.
The group described itself as comprising a majority of the NPP National Executive Committee and said it supports "genuine unity" among Liberia's opposition forces and fully endorses the consultative meeting called by the CDC.
The statement was signed by Emmanuel Goll, chairman of the Concerned NPP Partisans and NPP national vice chairman for international affairs, and approved by C. Neileh Daitouah, the party's vice chairman for inter-party affairs.
"At this critical moment in our nation's political history, the opposition cannot afford unnecessary division, personal ambitions, or attempts by individuals to speak as though they alone represent the collective interests of the NPP," the group said.
The concerned partisans then turned their criticism directly toward Mulbah, arguing that he was not part of the negotiations, consultations and coalition-building efforts that eventually brought the NPP into the coalition that won the presidency in 2017 and elevated Howard-Taylor to the vice presidency.
They said Mulbah returned to the NPP later and was subsequently given an opportunity to serve in government by then-President Weah.
"We therefore find it unfortunate when individuals who benefited from the sacrifices and opportunities created by others now attempt to undermine the very political forces and relationships that made their resurgence possible," the statement said.
The group declared that "the NPP is bigger than any individual" and that the broader opposition movement should take precedence over personal interests.
The concerned partisans said Liberia's opposition faces a moment requiring political maturity, courage, consultation and unity, arguing that no single opposition party can effectively approach the political future in isolation.
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"It is against this background that we welcome the initiative of the CDC leadership to bring opposition stakeholders together. We particularly commend the leadership of the CDC, headed by Former President George Manneh Weah, for demonstrating solidarity with the NPP and standing with the Party and its leadership during this exceptionally difficult period," the statement said.
The group also thanked Weah and the CDC, saying political relationships built on genuine solidarity should not disappear when circumstances become difficult.
"We are not oblivious to the fact that there are individuals within our own ranks whose actions, statements, and political conduct have contributed to the difficult situation confronting Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor and the NPP," the group said.
It added that history would judge individuals according to the roles they played during the current period.
"We will not be distracted by those who have chosen to become the 'Judas Iscariots' of this moment," the statement said. "Their actions may be painful, but they will not determine the future of the NPP or the broader opposition movement."
