Twayen, Sokan in Commanding Lead -As NEC Announces Preliminary Results for Nimba and G’ Gedeh By-Elections

MONROVIA: As the citizens of Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties await the final outcome of the just ended Senatorial and Representative bye elections in the counties, preliminary outcome of the exercise as announced by the National Elections Commission (NEC) yesterday, Wednesday, April 24, 2024 showed that for the senatorial category held in Nimba county, the candidate representing the Unity Party Alliance, Nya Twayen is in perfect lead while that of District #1, Grand Gedeh County is being led by Jeremiah Garwo Sokan .

Announcing the results yesterday, the Chairperson of NEC, Madam Davidetta Brown Lansanah said 157 out of 736 polling places put Nya D. Twayen Jr at 19,966 votes against his closest rival, Representative Samuel Kogar who polled 3, 737 votes thus far.

For District #1, Grand Gedeh County, Jeremiah Garwo Sokan is leading among the three top contenders with 2,067 votes followed by the closest rival, Madam Amelia P. Beh, widow of the late lawmaker, Erol Madison Gwion Sr, with 995 and Ansu Dukuly who came third with 860 votes. The results were collated from 31 out of 46 polling places.

With the pace of collation going on, it is expected that the final results could be in today and the eventual winners certificated preparatory to being inducted in the national legislature as is required by law.

Madam Brown-Lansanah had historicized before releasing the results that “National Elections Commission, on 1st February 2024, was notified by the Liberian Senate of the existence of a vacancy due to the election of former Nimba County Senator Jeremiah Kpan Koung as Vice President on the Joseph N. Boakai Presidential ticket, in the Presidential and Legislative Elections of 10 October 2023 and the 14 November 2023 Presidential Run-off Election”.

“Similarly, on 2nd February 2024, the House of Representatives notified the Commission of a vacancy due to the passing of Honorable Erol Madison Gwion, Representative-elect of District #1, Grand Gedeh County who was elected during the 10 October 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections”, She said.

She further stated that generally speaking the By-elections in both Nimba and District #1 Grand Gedeh were conducted under a peaceful atmosphere.

“The tally process began today, 24 April 2024 at the two magisterial offices in Nimba (Sanniquellie, Upper Nimba) and (Tappita, Lower Nimba) as well as the 2 Grand Gedeh magisterial office in Zwedru in the presence of candidate agents and independent observers. The tallied results from magisterial offices are being progressively transmitted to the Data Center at NEC Headquarters where they are being collated for announcements”, she concluded.