Wilmot Paye Thrown Out of PLP

Wilmot Paye has finally been thrown out of the People's Liberation Party after the party financier Dr. Daniel Cassell approved his expulsion.

Paye’s removal comes after accusations and counter-accusations between him and the party’s political leader Cassell. Considered one of Liberia’s rising political figures, Paye has in recent times faced troubles in his political career with parties.

He was earlier the Secretary-General of the former ruling Unity Party that led the country for 12 years and progressed in leaderships position, becoming the party chair and presiding over the party 2017 presidential election that brought the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) to power.

Having spent some time as Chairman, Paye was thrown out of the Chairmanship position in 2020, from where he left and landed within the PLP as its acting chairperson in February this year during a euphoric celebration at the party’s headquarters in Congo Town. 

He was brought in to take the PLP forward, however, he was sacked in August. Mr. Paye was accused by Dr. Cassel for act unbecoming of his position, which led to his sacking and thrown out of the party that he helped grow over the past months. But Paye resisted the party decision and argued that the political leader’s action was contrary to the party’s constitution.

In a press statement, PLP announced that it has officially parted company with its former chairman without any regret. His expulsion was endorsed by Cassell, who at first decided to paint the move as an act of the party’s General Policy Commission (GPC), many of whom Paye has accused of being influenced by Dr. Cassell and unable to make independent decisions.

The GPC is the highest decision-making body of the PLP and it comprises high-ranking officials of the party, including Dr. Cassell, whom Paye claims preside over the GPC meetings. His removal, according to the PLP, is predicated upon issues of fraud, acts of undermining or usurping functions and poor performances, and unilaterally violating the constitutional rights of other members of the party.

“In view of the recent wave of gross violations of the PLP’s norms, core values, and ethics, the organizing committee of the party, do hereby expel Paye, and some other executives who have lost the comfort of friendship with Cassell and other founding members of the party,” PLP said in a statement.

It added that “Paye, amid his suspension, has been misrepresenting himself by posturing as chairman and at the same time fabricating stories against the party and Dr. Cassell, which was unexpected and demonstrates gross violation of the PLP’s norms.”

The Party noted that Paye and other expelled partisans have been out on a rampage, spewing verbal attacks and misrepresenting the facts about the actual happenings that led to their dismissal.

However, Paye has denied such claims and alleged that Cassell is getting him out of the party because of his interest to have his brother-in-law serve as chairman of the party. He described his former political leader as a scammer and a fake humanitarian with a self-seeking interest. 

Paye’s recent removal came along with the removal of Henry Sackie and Kansualism Kansuah from the positions of acting Vice Chairman for Political Affairs and Secretary-General respectively.

Paye and his fellow PLP partisans, who were suspended at first, challenged the decision of the party at the level of the National Elections Commission (NEC) but the electoral management body, through its political affairs office, issued a statement calling on them and the party to return to status quo and deal with their internal issues since the position held by Paye and the others had no legal backing, “because the PLP has not held a convention to elect its required officials.”

The PLP’s statement noted that former University of Liberia student leaders, Carlos Edison Tingban, Peddi Ross, and Reuben Washington were also expelled for reasons similar to those of Paye and others. Tingba was the acting youth chairman of the PLP.