By Festus Poquie
Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung is facing a deepening political crisis in his native Nimba County that could undermine his standing within the ruling Unity Party and complicate his potential bid for the presidency in 2029.
Less than two years into office, Koung — who was born in Nimba County with southeastern lineage is at odds with influential local figures and former allies.
The dispute has played out publicly since April’s Senate by-election, triggered by the death of long-serving senator and regional figure Prince Yormie Johnson.
With eyes on the 2029 elections, Koung backed Samuel Kogar, a sitting member of the House of Representatives, as the Unity Party’s candidate in that by-election. Kogar, presented during Johnson’s funeral period as a successor to the late senator, won the seat with strong local support.
Critics say the campaign relied in part on appeals to tribal balance: Koung publicly urged voters to support Kogar on the basis of his Gio heritage, arguing the vacant seat should remain within the Gio-speaking community.
Koung strategies seems to have backfired. Relations between Koung and Kogar have since deteriorated. After only a few months in the Senate, Kogar says he has seen the Vice President true color: a non-consensus driven leader who does not care for the welfare of the people of Nimba and disrespectful to peers.
The Senator accused the vice president of sidelining him and ignoring his recommendations for local appointments. Speaking from Buutuo Town on BKS Radio, Kogar said he felt disrespected and dismissed, declaring, “I have been treated as a mere boy.”
Kogar rejected a mediation effort by Nimba chiefs and elders who traveled to Monrovia, insisting any resolution should take place in Nimba County. At a meeting in Monrovia with traditional leaders, he apologized for airing county issues on the radio but said his apology was not to Koung and reiterated his demand for a neutral venue in Nimba for any settlement.
According to verified sources, ee contested funding of the elders’ trip to Monrovia remain unclear, and some community sources have questioned the impartiality of the mediators.
The rift comes while Koung and Bong County Senator Prince Kermue Moye are cultivating a political alliance that observers say could position them as key contenders within the Unity Party for 2029.
Koung received an endorsement from the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) at a Philadelphia town hall on March 8, 2025, where ULAA president Mohamed Keita urged diaspora support for Koung. Two weeks later, on March 22, 2025, Moye was acknowledged by the Prophetic Call to Ministry Like Mind Pastors as the political “Godfather” of Bong County — an honor whose past endorsements have influenced local political alignments.
While Moye is consolidating support among Kpelle-speaking communities, Koung’s base in Nimba appears unsettled. The Kpelle are the country’s largest ethnic group; estimates place the number of Kpelle speakers in Liberia at roughly 1 million, or about one-fifth of the population, making their political alignment consequential in national contests.
The Nimba political warfare has multiple fronts. Musa Hassan Bility, leader of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) and representative for Nimba’s District 7 who is aspiring for the presidency, accused Koung of promoting tribal politics and deepening divisions. In a public letter titled “Letter from Saclepea: Lofa and Nimba, the Tale of Two Leadership,” Bility contrasted President Joseph Boakai’s consolidation of support in Lofa with what he described as Koung’s failure to unite Nimba.
“Those who stand firm — whether Musa Bility, Edith Gongloe, Samuel Kogar, or any other Nimbain who has shown independence — have all been sidelined,” Bility wrote. He also alleged that Koung had used local officials to “disrespect and denigrate lawmakers” and had targeted rivals’ private interests. “Nimba will resist what the Vice President is doing to this country,” Bility declared.
“Nimba will stand up to him. And Nimba will speak against his divisive politics. I am proud to lead that charge, no matter the cost.
In Lofa, a President who, despite his flaws and tribal instincts, has managed to consolidate power and unify his people. In Nimba, a Vice President who has squandered the trust of his people, divided communities, and turned potential allies into enemies. These are the two tales before us. One of redemption. One of betrayal. And history will judge them accordingly.”
Analysts say the public split between a sitting vice president and a newly elected senator from the same county could weaken the Unity Party’s cohesion in a key vote-rich region and give opposition forces leverage ahead of 2029. There has been no response from Vice President Koung on the matter as he continues to keep his silence.
