Nimba County-It appears like the endorsement of PYJ before his death has paid off. Preliminary results from the just-ended senatorial by-election in Nimba County show Representative Samuel G. Kogar holding a commanding lead over his main contender, Edith Gongloe-Weh.
The race is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched in recent Liberian political history, as it could shift the balance of power in the Senate following the legacy of the late Senator Prince Yormie Johnson (PYJ).
Kogar, who has the backing of the current administration, has put up an unexpectedly strong performance in districts considered to be Gongloe-Weh’s strongholds.
This development has startled many political observers and opposition supporters, who had anticipated a more dominant showing by Gongloe-Weh in her familiar territories.
Still, early returns from District #2 reaffirm her grassroots support, particularly in Dingamo.
At Dingamo Public School in District #2, Gongloe-Weh outpaced Kogar in all five polling places.
She secured 194 votes to Kogar’s 31 in Polling Place #2, 173 to 27 in Polling Place #3, and 171 to 36 in Polling Place #1.
These numbers reinforce her traditional support base but may not be enough to counteract Kogar’s sweeping gains elsewhere in the county.
Kogar, on the other hand, appears to have locked down Nimba District #9 with commanding margins.
In Zuolay, his dominance was clear: 161 votes to Gongloe-Weh’s 4 in Polling Place #1, and similar ratios in the other polling places. In nearby Zogahn, the trend continued, with Kogar securing 115, 71, and 98 votes in three polling places, while Gongloe-Weh only managed single digits.
Even more striking were the results from Harris Village in Doe Administrative District, where Kogar pulled in 112 votes to Gongloe-Weh’s 1 in Polling Place #1 and a massive 245 votes to her 5 in Polling Place #2.
These figures highlight his stronghold status in this region and may be a major factor tipping the overall results in his favor.
As the National Elections Commission continues tallying results, both camps are holding their breath.
The final outcome remains uncertain, with some districts still reporting.
Nonetheless, the contest has clearly emerged as a battle of strongholds, with Kogar currently edging ahead in the numbers, but with more votes yet to be counted, anything remains possible.
We still await the NEC who has the constitutional authority to announce the final results in the just ended senatorial bi-election in Nimba County.
As the counting continues, all Nimbians are watching the NEC closely to announce the final winner.
