A struggle for political influence in Nimba County appears to be brewing between Vice President Jeremiah Koung and Senator Samuel Kogar, both from the party of the late Senator Prince Y. Johnson.
By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Nimba, Liberia; August 27, 2025 – Nimba County Senator, Samuel Kogar, breaks silence here, expressing deep frustration over what he describes as Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung’s firm grip on political power in Nimba, accusing him of monopolizing government appointments and sidelining him from major decisions.
Appearing on a live radio broadcast in Nimba, Senator Kogar alleged that since Mr. Koung assumed the Vice Presidency, all presidential appointments from the county have been controlled exclusively by the VP, with none coming from Kogar’s recommendation.
“I challenge the Vice President to tell me how many people I’ve recommended since he became VP,” Kogar stated emphatically. “He influences every appointment from Nimba. I’ve been quiet, but it’s too much.”
Kogar said that although he and Koung still speak, the Vice President frequently disregards their private agreements as brothers. When it is time for implementation, he bypasses him and does something else.
He blamed the breakdown in their relationship on individuals close to VP Koung, who, according to him, are spreading false narratives and deepening mistrust between them. He explained the VP listens to people telling him that Kogar will fight him, instead of remembering where they came from, the time they both served as Representatives and worked together.
The Senator pointed to the recent by-election in Nimba County District #5 as a prime example of their fallout. He claimed the Vice President ignored prior consultations about the election and failed to support his (Kogar’s) preferred candidate.
“My neutrality was based on endurance. But I was hurt and felt disgraced in my own district,” he said, referring to the situation surrounding the by-election. “If I had gone on the radio to campaign for my candidate while the VP backed another, it would’ve signaled serious division. So, I stepped back.”
Despite the visible strain, Kogar insists he bears no grudge against VP Koung. However, he cautioned that the Vice President must understand his boundaries. When someone is elected Senator, he argues, it is their responsibility to represent and lead the county, not the Vice President’s or the President’s.
He added, “Do they expect me to sit supinely while all this is happening? Then what makes me a Senator?”
Kogar also spoke about his increasingly strained position within the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) – the party founded by the late Senator Prince Y. Johnson. Though widely viewed as Johnson’s political successor, Kogar says he now feels ostracized and disrespected within the party.
Still, the Senator’s optimism for a resolution, revealing that he has shared his concerns with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. “If the President acts, fine. If not, that’s also fine. I don’t bite and blow, and I will never undermine anyone,” he said.
The escalating rift between Nimba’s two top political figures has stirred widespread speculation of a major political clash ahead of the 2029 elections. Many observers believe VP Koung is consolidating power as Nimba’s next political godfather, a position Senator Kogar is not prepared to relinquish, having stepped into the late Senator Johnson’s shoes in the MDR. Editing by Jonathan Browne
