Explainer: Wonokay Fahngalo, a candidate who will not vote for himself

T. Wonokay Fahngalo, one of the Senate candidates in the Nimba April 22 election, will not vote for himself.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) released the provisional list of eight candidates for the upcoming Nimba County Senatorial By-Election scheduled for April 22, 2025.

Seven aspirants will be contesting the seat, comprising both independent candidates and those representing political parties. The list includes

Torbor Tee Wonokay Famgalo (Independent)

B. Mack Gblinwon (Citizens Movement for Change—CMC)

Edith Lianue Gongloe-Weh (Independent)

George Parkinson Gonpu (African Democratic Movement)

Samuel Gongben Kogar (Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction—MDR)

Richard Matenckay Tingban (VOLT)

Garrison Doldeh Yealue—Independent

The NEC stated that the scrutiny process was successful and then released the final list of qualified candidates.

The bi-election in Nimba County is to fill the vacancy created at the Liberian Senate following the death of Nimba County Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, alias PYJ.

With the issuance of the writ, the Nimba County senatorial bi-election is scheduled for April 22, 2025.

Nimba County has the second-highest voting population, with 307,256 inhabitants across nine districts and over 200 polling centers.

One thing to note is that Fahngalo will not vote for himself because he participated in the October 2023 elections in Montserrado County District #3.

We contacted Fahngalo, who said he will not vote in Nimba but Nimbians should vote based on his agenda and vision for the county.

This was confirmed during the debate

Milton Paye, election magistrate, said the voter registration done in Nimba was not for new voters but was for the replacement of voter cards that were either missing or destroyed.

"The voter registration was not for new voters; rather, we replaced voter cards for persons who voted in the 2023 elections and whose cards were lost or destroyed. So we will check the voter registration before replacing," said Paye.

The Upper Nimba election magistrate further stated that Fahngalo could not vote in the election because he contested in Montserrado.

“He will not vote in the Nimba bi-election when he voted and registered in Montserrado; this means the Nimba voter roll doesn’t have a number for him.”

We contacted another NEC magistrate, Isaac Williams of River Cess, who confirmed what Paye said.

“It is impossible for a candidate who contested in the 2023 election in another county to be eligible to vote in another county; this can only happen if there was new registration, but the voter roll that is being used for the Nimba bi-election is the 2023 voter roll.”

Conclusion: Fahngalo, who contested in the Montserrado District #3 election in 2023, would not be eligible to vote for himself even though he is a candidate in the Nimba April 22 bi-election.