Monrovia, Liberia – An immediate expulsion of Senator Zoe E. Pennue, Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala and Sinoe County District Two Representative Samson Weah, has been announced by the opposition Congress for Democratic Change. The three were accuse of being disloyal and collaborating with the ruling Unity Party.
The decision came after roughly 18 months of behavior by the three officials, according to a statement released Monday by the CDC. The officials were accused of violating several sections of the party’s Constitution and Bylaws, including Sections 38, 39, 41(A), 42, 44, 45, 46, and 47.
The party claims that Section 47 of the CDC Constitution states that membership may end by death, expulsion approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC), constructive withdrawal by publicly stating allegiance to another political party, or verbal or written withdrawal.
In addition to identifying themselves with the Unity Party-led administration, which it claimed has not adhered to the principles of good governance, the CDC accused the ousted officials of utilizing public platforms to disparage and criticize the party.
A rising number of well-known CDC members have been kicked out of the party in the last year, and the most recent expulsions join that list. The former Deputy Speaker, Representative Thomas P. Fallah, is one of them. He and a number of other politicians were expelled for allegedly participating in attempts to unseat Speaker J. Fonati Koffa.
In the 2023 parliamentary and presidential elections, Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala was the spokesperson for the CDC campaign team. Critics say that he broke with the CDC and aligned himself with the ruling Unity Party by starting the Centrism Movement after the polls. On the other hand, Gbala has insisted that the movement aims to prioritize national interest over party allegiance.
Critics have also argued that Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue, a longtime CDC supporter from Grand Gedeh County—traditionally seen as a CDC stronghold—has distanced himself from the party since President Joseph Nyuma Boakai was elected.
Although no disciplinary action was taken against him at the time, Representative Samson Weah, a CDC lawmaker from Sinoe County, has also been accused of backing attempts to remove Speaker Koffa and siding with the Unity Party. The opposition party warned that anyone doing business with the expelled officials under the party’s name was doing so “at their own risk,” and it cautioned the public from doing so in their name.
The statement was signed by CDC National Chairman Atty. Janga A. Kowo. He noted that the expulsions were intended to preserve the party’s integrity and serve as a message to other members as the organization repositions itself for the general elections in 2029. The CDC reaffirmed its commitment to what it described as its people-centered objectives and pledged to continue campaigning to overthrow the Unity Party administration in the upcoming elections.
