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Tension appears to be brewing slowly within the Unity Party Alliance more than 16 months following the 2023 general and presidential elections, as one member of the Alliance considers withdrawal.
By Lincoln G. Peters
The All Liberian Coalition Party (ALCOP), a constituent member of the ruling Unity Party, has distanced itself and rejected the Unity Party Alliance’s purported endorsement of Nimba County senatorial candidate Samuel Kogar.
Nimbians are currently gearing up for a crucial senatorial by-election slated for April 22, 2025 in a move to replace late Senator Prince Yormie Johnson who died following a brief illness.
According to the National Election Commission, there are eight candidates currently aspiring for the seat, as campaign activities are expected to end Sunday, April 20, 2025.
The ruling Unity Party has twenty constituent parties as Alliance members, for which the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction of Vice President Jeremiah K. Koung and Senatorial candidate, Samuel Kogar, and the dominant Muslim All Liberian Coalition Party (ALCOP), and others are members.
Over the weekend, the Unity Party (UP) Alliance endorsed representative Samuel G. Kogar as its candidate for the upcoming Nimba County Senatorial by-election and urged all partisans, members, sympathizers, and citizens of Nimba County to rally behind him and cast their votes in his favor.
According to the party, in a statement captioned “Unity Party Alliance endorsement,” said that the announcement follows a series of well-attended meetings at the Unity Party headquarters, where executives from the Unity Party and its Alliance member parties recently convened.
And based on extensive consultations with party leaders, stakeholders, and grassroot supporters in Nimba County, the decision was said to have reflected the commitment of Alliance members to support individuals who embody the principles of service to the nation and community development.
But, responding to the endorsement on Monday, April 14, 2025 on a local talkshow in Monrovia, Mr. Musa M. B. Kenneh, a Stewart of ALCOP, providing update on the party’s just ended National Retreat described the endorsement statement read by Unity Party Secretary General Amos Tweh in Nimba County over the weekend as a complete falsehood and misrepresentation of collective agreement.
According to him, at no point in time did the Unity Party and its alliance members ever took a decision to support representative Kogar for the upcoming by-election, while maintaining that ALCOP will not support Kogar.
” I listen to the Unity Party Secretary General Amos Tweh reading an endorsement statement on behalf of the Unity Party Alliance in Nimba County, pledging support to Kogar. I want to emphatically state that this is false and misleading. That statement is just part of the many falsehoods and unilateral decisions that the Unity Party continues to make by disrespecting this alliance and agreement. ALCOP will not honour this because at no point in time did we ever take such a decision, least to say a consensus. This was done by the UP alone and not the alliance because we are not aware.” Mr. Kenneh stated.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kenneh providing update and decision from the Party just ended National Retreat held in Monrovia, said that the party is angry with the UP over the handling and ignoring of the MoU signed between the both institutions during the 2023 Presidential and legislative elections.
According to him, the Party first major post-election lesson-learnt retreat was held on Saturday, April 12, 2025 and brought together the Political Leader; Chairman and members of the Executive Committee, former candidates of the party, youth and women leaders, elders, coordinators and other stakeholders.
Disclosing the recommendations and decision of the retreat, he further indicated that the Party has taken an overwhelming decision to reviews its past strategies and develop a new one ahead of the 2029 Presidential and legislative elections.
“That the party reiterates calls for the unconditional respect of the agreement signed with the Unity Party government in the 2023 elections and continues with constructive engagement for good governance. That members of the party are deeply concerned about the failure of the Unity Party to implement its agreement with ALCOP in the areas of appointments in government. That the party resolved to remind the Unity Party of its full adherence to all commitments of the collaboration agreed upon, including granting of national holidays at the end of Ramadan and on Abraham Day each year, through an Executive order or legislation, beginning with the next Abraham Day. That the party frowns on the government’s delay in lifting the employment moratorium that is affecting Liberians deserving employment,” he concluded. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
