Nimba County is preparing for a critical senatorial by-election on April 22, with over 307,000 registered voters expected to participate.
The election has turned into a heated contest focused on tribal representation, political influence, and the legacy of the late Senator Prince Yormie Johnson who suddenly died in November 2024 at age 72.
Johnson, who served from 2005, holds the record for the longest continuous tenure in the history of the Liberian Senate. Seven candidates are competing to fill his unexpired term, but ultimately, only one will succeed in claiming the vacant seat and continuing his political legacy.
Liberia Public Radio’s national correspondent in Nimba said campaign season officially closed on April 19, and the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, confirmed that all preparations are complete for voting day. A total of 307,254 registered voters will go to the polls from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22.
Voters are urged to participate peacefully and to remember that only those with valid voter registration cards will be allowed to vote. Additionally, no party-branded materials, including T-shirts or caps, will be permitted at polling centers.
Liberia’s Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, a close ally of Johnson, is fully supporting Representative Samuel Kogar, the candidate for Johnson’s Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR). Insiders suggest that Koung and Kogar are engaged in a quiet rivalry over who will assume the role of Nimba’s next political leader.
At a recent campaign rally in Gbehla-Gbeh, Koung invoked the spirit of Johnson, urging residents to ensure a landslide victory for Kogar. He remarked, “PYJ will not sleep until 2029,” hinting at long-term ambitions for control of the county’s political landscape.
Tribal politics
The lone female candidate in the race Madam Edith Gongloe-Weh, alleged that Koung had urged her not to run in the by-election, asserting that Nimba already has a Mano senator and a Gio senator.
This assertion has heightened tribal tensions in a county where ethnic balance is a delicate issue. Many voters argue that elections should focus on competence and service delivery rather than ethnicity or symbolism. Mack Gblinwon, a candidate from the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), has been campaigning with limited support, leaving him politically vulnerable.
One of the most memorable moments occurred when Kogar jumped over Johnson’s coffin four times during the funeral, symbolizing spiritual and political succession. Supporters interpreted the act as a bold claim to Johnson’s legacy, while critics dismissed it as empty theater.
