MONROVIA: Following recent widespread speculations making the rounds on social media that Cllr Tiawan S. Gongloe has chosen Cllr. T. Negbalee Warner as his running mate, all because of a trending photograph that showed the two legal luminaries standing together, holding a pair of Gongloe’s ubiquitous broom, Cllr Warner has come out to quickly clarify that he is neither a running mate to Cllr. Gongloe nor a member of Cllr. Gongloe’s party.
Explaining his position in a press statement issued yesterday, June 5, 2023, Cllr. Warner explained that the photo was taken during an impromptu engagement Cllr. Gongloe had with him and other lawyers while entering the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (EJS) Ministerial Complex to attend the celebration of this year’s Law Day on May 5, 2023.
In addition to refuting speculations of being Cllr. Gongloe’s running mate, Cllr Warner has said that he is not a politician, is not seeking any elective office, nor is he involved with Cllr. Gongloe’s campaign or the campaign of any of the parties or aspirants in the pending general elections. Instead, Cllr. Warner says he remains focused on his legal practice along with his advocacy for integrity, transparency and social justice.
It can be recalled that last week, speculations made the rounds to the effect that the standard bearer of the Liberia People’s Party (LPP), Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, must have picked Prof. T. Negbalee Warner, former Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, when a photo of both lawyers and clutching brooms, the symbol of Gongloe’s campaign message, emerged on the social media, suggesting that the ticket which followers soon tagged as “Broom 1, Broom 2” has been agreed upon and is now awaiting formal announcement.
However, all the speculations must have been put to rest when The Analyst in an exclusive inquiry discovered that both men expressed surprise that their names were in the public domain for such a protracted time being linked to a possible collaboration to the extent that a ticket has been defined and christened, “Broom 1 and Broom 2”; but the idea of a ticket was debunked by them separately.
“No, that is not true; in as much as I would have loved to have him as a running mate, nothing is close to it. I appreciate the concern of our people especially expressing optimism and confidence in our ability to lead this country, but it is not true that I have picked Cllr. Warner who is a capable colleague”, Cllr. Gongloe told The Analyst last night.
Gongloe gave an insight of how the photo came about when he said the trending photo was taken during the celebration of the Law Week organized recently by the Liberia National Bar Association, and as professional colleagues who are also like minds on national issues, they decided to take the photo.
“It is that photo which should have been a private thing surprisingly got to the public and people started to give different meaning to it”, Gongloe said.
Cllr. Warner, who is being mentioned as the running mate, initially responded to our inquiry through a terse text message denying the story.
“Good morning. It is not true. I am not in politics or running for any elective office. At least I have told you”, Cllr. Warner told this paper over the weekend, and buttressed his statement with his official position yesterday through a press statement.
“two luminaries”. Every lawyer, even the gbagbatee are referred to as “luminaries”. Can you imagine they referring to that criminal and irresponsible Jerome J. Verdier as “luminary” when the clown does not even know elementary law. Here they are here referring to that dullard Gongloe as a “luminary”, when these rascals seriously lack the understanding of statutory interpretations, just as that judge and along with his jury made those drug dealers to fly away with impunity.