But faces criticism after several high-ranking government officials participated in the endorsement.
Nimba County – The ruling Unity Party is facing increasing criticism after a number of its senior officials, many of whom were appointed by the president, publicly supported Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) senatorial candidate Samuel G. Kogar at a campaign rally on Saturday, April 12. This was alleged to be hypocritical and to be a clear violation of Liberia’s Code of Conduct.
The endorsement, which took place in Nimba County days before the senate by-election on April 22, stirred up opposition lawmakers and civil society organizations. Critics claim that it draws attention to a troubling discrepancy between the Unity Party’s present policies and the ideals it formerly supported when it was in opposition.
Section 5.1(c) of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Employees of the Government of Liberia is at the heart of the controversy. It clearly states that no official appointed by the President of the Republic of Liberia may serve on the campaign team of any political party or independent candidate.
Amos Tweh, MD at the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company; Ben A. Fofana, Commissioner at the Liberia Telecommunications Authority; Whroway Bryant, Superintendent of Montserrado County; James Yolei, Assistant Minister for Operations at the Ministry of Internal Affairs; Emmanuel Farr, Deputy Director for Administration at the National Fire Service; Selena Polson Mappy, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs; Luther Tarpeh, the party’s national chairman and Chairman of the Board of the National Port Authority; all participated in the endorsement.
Many claim that the Unity Party’s professed dedication to the rule of law is undermined by these politicians’ open backing of Kogar while acting in their official roles.
Considering the party’s previous position, the criticism is especially harsh. The Unity Party, which was in opposition at the time, blasted the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) for selecting presidential appointees for their national campaign team during the 2020 midterm senatorial elections, claiming that this was a “gross violation” of the Code of Conduct of the Republic.
Representative Musa Hassan Bility, the leader of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), has filed a formal complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman, calling the Unity Party’s conduct a clear breach of the law that jeopardizes Liberia’s democratic process.
In a letter dated April 13, 2025, the organization said, “This is a violation of the Code of Conduct and jeopardizes the integrity of our democratic process.”
Vice President Jeremiah Koung was also criticized by CMC for his involvement, even though the Unity Party did not put forward a candidate. Bility said, “I did not expect him to be part of this campaign as a leader of this county.”
The death of longstanding Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson in November 2024 set off the by-election on April 22. A parliamentary vacancy must be filled within ninety days, according to Article 37 of the Liberian Constitution. The contest to succeed Johnson is viewed by many as a test of political strength in the country’s second-most populated county.
