“…With these kinds of decisions, the party is 360° away from ever being a ruling party. How does advocating for empowerment amount to a ground for the entire leadership of the Youth Congress to be suspended, asked Assistant Minister Emmanuel K. Barnes, Stalwart, Liberty Party (LP)?”
Assistant Minister Emmanuel K. Barnes has unleashed a strong rebuke against the Liberty Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) following its decision to suspend the entire leadership of the National Youth Congress.
Barnes, one of the party’s most outspoken stalwarts, said the move exposes the LP’s growing intolerance for internal dissent and its disregard for the role of young people in shaping the party’s future.
Barnes argued that political parties are not religious bodies where disagreement is treated as disloyalty, stressing that the NEC’s action “tells to what extent the party doesn’t take young people seriously.”
He doubled down on his criticism, calling the suspension “a child’s play beyond measure” and insisting that such decisions keep the party far from any real prospects of national leadership.
His remarks came in the wake of a formal suspension letter issued to Youth Congress Chairman Othello Garpue and his entire leadership team. Signed by National Secretary General Martin Saye Kollah, the correspondence outlined several accusations against the youth leadership, including launching “unfounded public criticisms” against senior executives, spreading misinformation that allegedly caused internal division, and engaging in conduct deemed disrespectful of the party’s structures and principles.
According to the NEC, these actions warranted an immediate suspension pending a full-scale investigation.
The committee has appointed T. Wilson Gaye as head of the investigative team, with members James Nganda, Martin Saye Kollah, Helena Masaaquoi Smith, and Famata Russell tasked with reviewing the allegations and providing recommendations.
In the interim, Lawrence Dapeeda James has been named acting head of the National Youth Congress.
The NEC cautioned all youth members to avoid activities that may “jeopardize the integrity and unity of the Party,” emphasizing that the suspension is intended as a corrective, not punitive-measure aimed at preserving cohesion.
But Barnes and others critical of the decision say it reflects a larger pattern of sidelining young voices and policing internal criticism. With tensions rising and public scrutiny intensifying, the controversy has opened yet another chapter in the Liberty Party’s ongoing struggle to project unity and readiness for national leadership.
The divide between the party’s senior leadership and its youth wing appears to be widening-fueling debates about transparency, accountability, and the party’s direction ahead of future political battles.
