Claim: “17 senators have signed a resolution to remove Senator Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence.”
Verdict: No evidence that 17 senators plotted to remove Pro-Tempore.
Full Text: Shine Liberia, an online blog, made a post that a majority of senators, mostly 17, have signed a resolution to oust Grand Bassa Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence as Pro-Temp.
Other social media posts pointed to Bong County Senator Prince Moye and Vice President Jeremiah Koung as the masterminds behind the Pro-Temp alleged removal plot.
The post generated 312 reactions, 285 comments, and 24 shares as of the time of this check.
Karnga-Lawrence is currently serving a two-term term as senator of Grand Bassa County and the first elected female pro-temporary of the Liberian Senate.
She was elected in 2024 by the majority of senators of the House of Senate to serve in this capacity. Karnga-Lawrence, born in 1968, is a Liberian politician and leader of the Liberty Party. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and a postgraduate degree in Marketing.
She was elected in 2024 by the majority of senators of the House of Senate to serve in this capacity. Karnga-Lawrence, born in 1968, is a Liberian politician and leader of the Liberty Party. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and a postgraduate degree in Marketing.
Moye, Senator of Bong County, chairs the Senate’s Committee on Ways, Means, Finance, and Budget, leading fiscal policy and governance initiatives, while Koung is the president of the Senate and vice president of the Republic of Liberia.
Verification: To authenticate this claim, we searched other credible news outlets to verify this claim. We searched the FrontPage Africa and the Daily Observer websites. This is what we found.
“Reports had suggested that Moye, the Bong County senator, was among 17 senators who signed a resolution to unseat Karngar-Lawrence and that he was being considered as her replacement.
The rumors, which also linked the 17 senators to the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) bloc, implied a coordinated effort to remove the Grand Bassa County senator.
A similar story appears on the Verity News Facebook page, where Senator Moye also debunks his involvement in the plot to oust the Pro-Temp.
We contacted Senator Moye since he was named as one of the masterminds; he said he was unaware of any plan at the level of the Liberian Senate.
We contacted Senator Moye since he was named as one of the masterminds; he said he was unaware of any plan at the level of the Liberian Senate.
“I am not aware, and there is no such plan at the level of the Liberian Senate that I am aware of also.”
He further noted that he is not involved in and is not sponsoring anything of that nature.
“I am not involved, and I am not sponsoring anything of that nature. Moye said, “I think it is just mere propaganda meant to get my name in the media for the wrong reason.”
We also contacted Pro-Temp Karnga-Lawrence on the alleged plot to oust against her.
“There are too many distractions in our country. And where those distractions come from can be worrisome.”
Lawrence said people should focus more on their contributions to nation-building and do it with passion, stressing that so many people depend on what they do.
“We need to think more about our contributions to nation-building and do it with passion; so many lives depend on what we do. She said, “It’s disappointing that all we want to talk about is self and power. “ The Senate is doing well. No plans for removing me as far as I know.”
Also responding in a live Facebook video, Edwin Melvin Snowe, senator of Bomi County, dismissed the accusations.
Snowe said there are no 17 senators somewhere plotting to remove Pro-Temp Nyonblee Karngar-Lawrence, noting that if they have issues with the Pro-Temp, they will discuss it with her.
"By the way, the thing you people get in the media about removing our Pro-Temp is not true. You people should stop wasting your time," Snowe said.
He continues: "When we want to remove our Pro-Temp, we will have a consultative meeting with her in our conference room. We bring the issue to the floor and debate it, " Snowe added.
Shine Liberia did not respond to our inquiry; when they do, we will update this article.
Conclusion: Based on our search and findings, we conclude that the claim made by Shine Liberia that some 17 Senators have plotted to remove Grand Bassa Senator as Pro-Temp is unproven.
By: G Watson Richards ( Montserrado Fellow)
