Liberia: 'A Big Mistake: ' Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence Describes Bility's Chairmanship 

Senator  Nyonblee Kanrnga-Lawrence has claimed that the opposition Liberty Party made a “big” blunder by electing business tycoon Musa Bility as party chairman a few years ago.

The Grand Bassa County Senator's remarks come after a ruling from the Supreme Court favor Bility, whom she had accused of tampering with the party's constitution — a claim that Bility denies.  The Senator, who in 2020 defended Bility's election against public outcry, now claims that his leadership has caused unwarranted confusion and chaos in the party after.

Both have been in a power struggle over the party's leadership for over a year, resulting in both expelling each other but with the Supreme Court's ruling last week, Lawrence's position as the party's political leader is now in jeopardy, given that she had been expelled arch-rival during their fight for control.

“Bility's election to the position as a Party Chairman is now considered one of the biggest mistakes that ever made,” Lawrence said in an address to partisans in Grand Bassa County. “We submit that indeed a mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.

“As the Leader of our beloved party, I stand here today, humbled, and sad and want to say sorry; sorry for putting you all through all this trauma, frustration and sleepless nights. I take all the responsibility.  We have had sleepless nights as a team strategizing, blaming one another at some point, and even shutting down for days to reflect.”

However, Karnga-Lawrence seems prepared for a prolonged battle as she does not intend to abandon the battle to take back the Liberty Party — aiming at announcing the next course of next legal  action on April 18.

According to the Senator, the fight for the party is not against Bility  but to ensure that the party leads the base that will influence the 2023 elections. The Grand Bassa Senator who is eying the vice presidential candidate slot of the opposition Unity Party,  is not willing to let go of the country’s third biggest opposition political party, as doing so would leave her without any basis. 

“We all have fought the hardest, we all have stood together, we all have supported the process in many ways. We are not discouraged and we are not tired fighting because we know that we are on the right side.”

“We are here today to tell you that this fight is not against only us, but the entire Country, and it’s not just about Musa Bility and his team fighting us, but every other power against our national growth. Why? Because we lead the base that will influence the 2023 elections, we have a team and base that do not compromise, we have a team and base that have integrity, we have a team a base that will never take money against the future of our people we have a team and base that mean well for Liberia,” Lawrence  said. 

Meanwhile, the Senator has accused the Supreme Court of not addressing the substance of the case, saying  the signature of an Associate Justice who had recused himself at the hearing  on the ruling is troubling.

“It is troubling when the courts cannot act on what’s before them out of fear that justice will jeopardize selfish political aims and objectives of agents and their benefactors that they favor. All of these actions are a recipe for chaos and disturbances in a Country that needs to focus its attention on good governance and peace building mission.”

Meanwhile, Bility has written an external memo to the National Elections Commission, host of political parties, the diplomatic mission near Monrovia informing them that Lawrence is no longer the political leader of the Liberty Party.

This comes after his just ended Supreme Court victory.