The political rift between Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar and Vice President Jeremiah Koung has deepened, as the senator’s senior political advisor, Armstrong Gobac Selekpoh, has outlined a set of “non-negotiable demands” that the Vice President must meet within 30 days if the relationship between the two men is to continue.
Speaking after Senator Kogar’s explosive interview on a local talk show, Selekpoh disclosed that the senator has been receiving overwhelming calls from senior Nimbaians at home and abroad, urging him to stand his ground. According to Selekpoh, Senator Kogar remains willing to align with Vice President Koung, but only on strict conditions that shift significant political influence in Nimba to him.
Among the demands presented, Selekpoh insisted that Vice President Koung must immediately relinquish the position of political leader of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) to Senator Kogar. He also called for Kogar to be made the next Nimba Caucus Chair and provided with resources to “restructure the entire MDR” through a convention.
Other conditions include:
Placing US$100,000 in the MDR account. Supplying the party with four brand new pickups for operations. Guaranteeing 10 presidential appointments for Team Kogar, including a seat on the ArcelorMittal board. Providing US$75,000 instantly for Senator Kogar’s “thank you tour” across Nimba, along with the repair of the Camp #1 road in Gbi & Doru. Establishing a reconciliation committee in Nimba with US$150,000 funding. And a written Memorandum of Understanding guaranteeing that the Nimba Caucus and Kogar himself will make decisions for Nimba without interference from the Vice President.
Perhaps the most striking of the conditions is Selekpoh’s demand that Senator Kogar be allowed to assume the same “godfather role” in Nimba once held by Senator Prince Y. Johnson (PYJ), free of obstruction from Vice President Koung.
“These demands are non-negotiable. The Vice President has 30 days to comply, or Senator Kogar will leave and form his own political party,” Selekpoh warned.
The ultimatum marks an escalation in what has become a tense struggle for influence within Nimba’s political landscape. For years, Nimba has been considered a decisive county in national elections, with political leaders there often commanding bloc support. The standoff between Senator Kogar and Vice President Koung now raises fresh questions about whether Nimba’s unity can be maintained ahead of Liberia’s next political cycle.
Neither the Vice President’s office nor the MDR leadership has issued an immediate response to the demands.
