By Lincoln G. Peters
Controversial Liberty Party (LP) Chairman Musa Hassan Bility says he will sue embattled LP political leader Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence for endorsing the Joseph Nyumah Boakai and Senator Jeremiah Koung presidential ticket.
Bility’s contention is that the Grand Bassa Senator, Madam Karnga-lawrence had endorsed the Boakai-Koung ticket in the capacity as Liberty Party political leader, allegedly in violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling and the party’s constitution.
“As far as Senator Karnga-Lawrence is concerned, she is disregarding and disrespecting the court’s ruling. The LP no longer has a political leader and she continues to call herself so,” Bility said recently on Spoon FM.
On Sunday, 14 May 2023, Senator Karnga-Lawrence endorsed Liberia’s opposition leader Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai and Senator Jeremiah Koung’s presidential ticket, a boost for the Unity Party campaign.
Meanwhile the Liberty Party has been through an internal crisis that ended at the Supreme Court after both Nyonblee and Bility expelled each other and split the party into factions.
At the Supreme Court, Nyonblee contended that her expulsion was illegal because the LP Executive Committee (loyal to Bility) did not have the authority.
She argued that the LP 2021 Special National Convention that voted the National Executive Committee into leadership and the Constitution that came out of the special national convention were both illegitimate.
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Notwithstanding, the Supreme Court on 12 April 2023 ruled that LP constitution filed at the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the leadership duly elected and inducted at the January 2011 LP special national convention in Gbarnga were legitimate.
According to Chairman Bility, he will take advantage of the law and drag Senator Karnga-Lawrence to court for endorsing the Boakai-Koung ticket
in the upcoming October 10 presidential and legislative elections.
Bility contended that Senator Karnga-Lawrence’s endorsement of Mr. Boakai in the capacity as LP leader is illegal and in violation of the Supreme Court ruling.
“There are times in the opposition during these election periods that the Unity Party will need the opposition. Therefore, the … action of Senator Karnga-Lawrence to violate and disrespect the court is not the way to behave,”said Mr. Bility.
“This is complete violation and disrespect to the court’s ruling, and we will take advantage of the law and make sure that such doesn’t happen again,” Chairman Bility vowed.
He insisted that he will take advantage of the legal system to punish Senator Karnga-Lawrence for endorsing the presidential bid of Amb. Boakai and Koung when she is allegedly no longer in that capacity in keeping with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
At the same time, Chairman Bility has described Nyonblee’s endorsement of Amb. Boakai as a regrettable political mistake and an error that will haunt the Unity Party in the upcoming elections.
“We are not going to sue the Unity Party. I told you that as far as we are concerned, [the] Unity Party is making a political mistake, they are not helping themselves,” Bility indicated.
He stated that no opposition party should engage in such an affront to another opposition party in an election where it’s clear that the opposition will need each other at some point.
The businessman-turned-politician claimed that what Senator Karnga-Lawrence, and the Unity Party did in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, was an action that he anticipated long ago.
