Bility’s prediction: ‘UP will be defeated at Supreme Court’

By Lincoln G. Peters

Embattled Liberty Party (LP) chairman Musa Bility has predicted a defeat for the former ruling Unity Party(UP) in the determination of its appeal before the Supreme Court against the National Elections Commission’s decision preventing the UP from fielding a candidate in the Lofa County senatorial by-election.

Mr. Bility believes that the Supreme Court will affirm the NEC’s decision and prevent the Unity Party and All Liberian Party (ALP) from fielding a candidate in their names in the Lofa County by-election and the 2023 presidential and legislative election.

On Monday, 25 April 2022, the full Board of Commissioners of the National Elections Commission reaffirmed a decision taken by its hearing officer to stop Unity Party from contesting the Lofa by-election until Liberia’s Supreme Court can make a determination.

The Board denied and dismissed UP’s bill of exception filed after the hearing officer prohibited the NEC last week from taking any further action in the case as to whether or not to allow UP to field a candidate in the Lofa by- election.

The NEC Board’s decision followed a ruling handed last week by the commission’s Hearing Officer Atty. Fomba A.M. Swaray, prohibiting the electoral house from taking any further action in the case until the Supreme Court decides. 

The National Elections Commission recently referred the Unity Party before the Supreme Court, as the electoral body remained undecided on whether or not to block UP and ALP from fielding senatorial candidates in Lofa County.

Speaking in an interview with journalists at the National Election Commission’s head office in Sinkor following the Board’s ruling, Mr. Bility said they will always defeat the ALP and UP and walk away from every legal hearing smiling because they are on the side of the law.

Bility bragged that the law is the law and people should learn to respect the law.

He noted that those that think that he has influenced the ruling of the NEC are making a big mistake.

“Yes, they are right because those decisions are being influenced by the law. I never predetermined but this is the issue of the law and now if they say they are going to the Supreme Court let’s see because that is the end,” said Bility. 

“Moreover, none of us get any point beyond the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, we can say this is the matter of law and we have the law on our side, therefore, we are optimistic of victory,’’ he continued.

Further, Bility indicated that if people would like to run this country to see the wrong and still decide to do it, he does not want to be found in that Liberia and not the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) will ever be found in that Liberia.

Reacting to suggestion that Mr. Bility is a spoiler in the CPP, he said he is not the one that left the CPP, neither is he the one that called Alternative National Congress (ANC) political leader Mr. Alexander B. Cummings a criminal and took him to court.

Bility argued that he is not the one that left the CPP unceremoniously without even informing the other members and accused everyone in the CPP.