Ten candidates will compete for a vacant legislative seat in Nimba County's Electoral District #5 on August 12, following a meeting where all contenders pledged to conduct peaceful campaigns.
The National Elections Commission convened the candidates in Buutuo Town last week, where they signed the 2023 Farmington River Declaration committing to nonviolent campaigning. The field includes nine men and one woman representing political parties, coalitions, and independent platforms.
The by-election follows the departure of three-term Representative Samuel G. Kogar, who won a Senate seat in April after the death of longtime Senator Prince Yormie Johnson in November. Under Liberia's constitution, the commission must hold a by-election within 90 days of a legislative vacancy.
Article 37 specifically states, "The Elections Commission shall not later than 90 days thereafter cause a by-election to be held; provided that where such vacancy occurs within 90 days prior to the holding of general elections, the filling of the vacancy shall await the holding of such general elections."
This provision applies when there is a vacancy in the Legislature caused by death, resignation, expulsion, or otherwise. The article requires that the presiding officer notify the Elections Commission within 30 days of such vacancy, and then the Elections Commission has up to 90 days to conduct the by-election to fill the vacant seat.
The provision includes an important exception: if the vacancy occurs within 90 days before scheduled general elections, the by-election is postponed until the general elections are held.
The Candidates
The final candidate list features seven party representatives and three independents: Originally,
11 candidates qualified for the race. But Samson Wonnah withdrew his candidacy after his uncle's death on July 15, saying he could not balance mourning with the demands of an aggressive campaign.
"I took the decision in the wake of the passing of my beloved uncle, Torbor Wantee," Wonnah wrote on Facebook. "Uncle Torbor was the elder brother of my late mother, Oretha Wantee Kwigbeah."
The district has 29,823 registered voters—14,732 men and 15,091 women—according to 2023 commission data. The constituency became vacant when Kogar successfully ran for the Senate seat left empty by Johnson's death.
Johnson, known by his initials P.Y.J., was Nimba County's longest-serving senator before his death last November. His passing triggered the Senate race that ultimately led to this by-election.
The Farmington River Declaration, signed by all remaining candidates, has become a standard tool for promoting peaceful elections in Liberia, a country still recovering from civil wars that ended in 2003.
Buutuo Town serves as the political center of Electoral District #5, one of several constituencies in Nimba County, located in north-central Liberia near the borders with Guinea and Ivory Coast.
