–As NEC Official Tallying Of Results Begins Wednesday
Preliminary results from Nimba County’s senatorial by-election are indicating that several candidates performed exceptionally well in their various strongholds, making it too early to predict a winner.
The Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) and ruling Unity Party-backed candidate, Representative Samuel G. Kogar, and independent candidate Edith L. Gongloe-Weh are said to be in a fierce fight for supremacy in the Nimba by-election, with each one leading in specific districts, while candidates Garrison D. Yealue and others are in a distant trail.
It is being predicted that Kogar may win districts #3, #4, #5, #6 and #7, while Gongloe-Weh is expected to lead the polls in districts #1, #2, #8 and #9.
Coincidentally, the candidates seem to be in comfortable lead in several of these mentioned districts, even though the results are unofficial.
Political pundits are of the opinion that the election is a two-horse race, and can only be decided based on the number of votes each of these candidates accumulates in their rival’s stronghold, as well as their performance in the remaining districts.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Davidetta Browne Lansannah, has announced that the Nimba County Senatorial By-election has successfully and peacefully ended without any report of violence.
“Thanks to the people of Nimba County for the peaceful manner in which they turned out today to vote for a candidate of their choice who will represent them in the Liberian Senate to replace the late Senator Prince Y. Johnson. The polls, which opened this morning at 8:00 a.m., closed minutes ago across Nimba County. What we cannot report is if the turnout was low or high. We can only do this after the entire counting process is over,” Browne Lansannah observed.
In her post-election press briefing, the NEC Chairperson told the people of Nimba County that, as of the report of her press briefing, NEC’s Legal Section had informed the Commission that it has received no complaint from anyone regarding the process.
The Commission extended thanks to the Liberia National Police (LNP) and other security agencies for the level of security provided to the process. NEC further thanked the Government of Liberia (GOL) for providing the funding for the conduct of the by-election. “To the donor community, we say thanks for their support. We also like to appreciate the Liberian media, including various community radios across Nimba, for the coverage of the senatorial by-election,” she stated.
The Commission further extended an open invitation to all stakeholders, the media, local and international observer groups, political parties to witness the tally process beginning Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at NEC’s two magisterial offices in Nimba County.
Generally, all 262 voting precincts and 736 polling places opened during the morning of voting, even though delays were reported in some places. It was expected that 307,254 registered voters would cast their ballot for the candidate of their choice.