NINBA COUNTY — When the National Elections Commission (NEC) declared the winner of the Nimba County Senator’s election, Samuel Kogal, that was more than the end of the votes. It was the beginning of a new political chapter – indicating the cohesion of the Democracy Movement (MDR) as the dominant force of Liberia’s second most populous county, and the rise of Vice President Jeremiah Korn as the indisputable political heir of the late Senator Jormie Johnson.
Kogar, a sitting MP and MDR candidate, claimed the victory with 62,136 votes. That is, 52.08% of the total votes cast from all 736 polling stations. His closest rival, independent candidate Edith Gonglow Way, won 40,506 votes, accounting for 33.95%.
Cogger’s name was on the poll, but the by-election became a litmus test of Vice President Korn’s political influence in the post-Johnson era. And on all accounts, he passed.
Prince Johnson’s death in November 2024 concluded his nearly two-year reign over Nimbha’s politics. The former warlord was an evangelical leader and power broker, and Johnson created a legacy that combined grassroots loyalty, tribal loyalty and political manipulation. He was feared and respected, and his support was often decisive.
His dead street left a vacuum – and question: Who will inherit the mantle of Nimbas’ Kingmaker?
Enter Jeremiah Koung. Johnson’s protégé, now the vice president of Liberia, moved quickly to insist on control. His support for Kogar was not merely political – it was symbolic. This was a fixed declaration that MDR, the party founded by Johnson, continues to live in Nimbha. And that was the way Korn said: “I am the successor.”
Koung worked tirelessly across all nine Nimba districts personally. At the rally, he established himself as a leader in a new era, evoking Johnson’s leadership and legacy.
“Some people want to act like Prince Johnson doesn’t leave behind a legacy,” he told voters on Khan Play. “But the prince trained us. We’re here.”
His influence could not be denied. Koun introduced the United Front as seven of Nimbha’s nine lawmakers support Kogal. Political observers say Kogar’s campaign was upset until Koung’s intervention reshaped its direction and message.
It’s not that there was no tension in the race. Representative Musa Hassan Barity of District 7 and his Civic Movement for Civic Movement (CMC) have sought to challenge the old order. In support of former county inspector Mark Gublinwon, the Barity campaign appealed to a new generation of voters who were disillusioned by tribal politics and the sponsorship network built by Johnson.
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The rise in Bility, especially at the central and lower Nimba, highlighted the evolving political landscape. The by-election was no longer merely a referendum on personality, but about the kind of leadership the county would still like to continue to hope for.
For Koung, victory is personal and strategic. Kogar’s victory doesn’t just give MDR a Senate seat. This shows that the once cone held by Johnson was holding the reins. Some political commentators believe that Koung is positioning himself as Nimbha’s new political godfather and potentially as a presidential candidate in 2029.
“Don’t underestimate him,” wrote Terrence Howard on Facebook. “He understands local politics and elections! The warning to politicians will be in 2029!”
James Matilda added, “It was a huge achievement for Kogal that Kogal intervened… Kogal is really the guy in the match.”
Mohamed Melvin Kwena reiterated the sentiment, “Kowng is Liberia’s next president.”
Kogal’s victory confirms that many people in Nimbha have begun to doubt. MDR not only survives Johnson’s death, it also thrives under the stewardship of Corn. This integration of power is deeply problematic in counties with more than 307,000 registered voters and a history of national elections.
The by-election may have been about Senate seats, but that means much more. Rather than helping to win the vote, Koung helped write the next chapter of Nimba Politics. And in doing so, he may have launched his own campaign for the country’s best office.
