The former ruling Unity Party has finally removed its national chairman, Wilmot Paye as head of the party.
On January 22, this year, the opposition Unity Party with immediate effect suspended Chairman Wilmot Paye to allow him face investigation for allegedly violating the party’s constitution.
But Paye condemned the decision, accusing former standard bearer and ex-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and current standard-bearer, Joseph Boakai, of plotting against him. The party reached the decision after hours of the executive committee meeting.
Chairman Paye would have been investigated by a five-man committee for issuing a unilateral press statement on January 5, 2020, calling on partisans of the UP to stay away from the January 6 protest after the party had stated that it is the rights of the people to gather and petition their government.
On February 03, he sought intervention of the Supreme Court to overturn the party’s decision to suspend him for investigation.
In a 17-count petition for a Writ of Prohibition, Mr. Paye contended that Mr. Isaac F. Mannah, Sr. and the leadership of the party “have acted diabolically, maliciously, mischievously, woefully, illegally, unlawfully and unconstitutionally by their unorthodox action and/or conduct to announce the Petitioner’s ‘suspension’ and thereby subject him to a bogus investigation for freely, legally, lawfully and constitutionally making public utterances and/or pronouncements in my capacity as National Chairman of the Unity Party.” The court is yet to come down with a ruling into the matter.
Notwithstanding, the UP National Executive Committee unanimously voted, in keeping with its constitution, to remove Mr. Wilmot J. M. Paye as National Chairman of the party with immediate effect.
According to a press statement under the signature of Mo Ali, Assistant Secretary General for Press released in Monrovia, the removal of Payeis as a result of recommendations made by the Special Investigative Committee established by the National Executive Committee of the Unity Party to investigate actions and decisions taken by the former chairman that contravened the UP’s constitution and brought to question the reputation of the party both locally and internationally.
“The UP hereby informs all of its partisans, members of the Collaborating Political Parties and others that henceforth, Mr. Wilmot Paye ceases to be National Chairman. Meanwhile, the NEC of the party has mandated Vice Chairman Isaac Mannah to continue to act as Chairman and in consultation with the leadership lead the party to extra ordinary convention within a period of two months,” the statement said.
The Acting National Chairman was also mandated to lead the party, in conjunction with the Standard Bearer, in talks to conclude the Collaborating Document of the Collaborating Political Parties, pending the approval of the Executive Committee.By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Editing by Jonathan Browne
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