-Accepts Its Roundtable Engagement Invite
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia – Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar has confirmed his participation in a high-level opposition roundtable convened by the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), scheduled for Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the Jamaica Resort in Paynesville.
The acceptance comes just days after his contentious expulsion from the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), signaling a strategic political realignment as the 2027 elections approach.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Thursday, Senator Kogar welcomed the initiative led by former President George Manneh Weah, who will preside over the gathering.
The meeting aims to facilitate a “frank exchange of views/ideas and constructive discussions on Liberia’s current political, governance, economic, security, and democratic challenges,” according to the official invitation sent by CDC National Chairman Atty. Janga A. Kowo.
“I am pleased to accept the CDC’s invitation to a roundtable discussion on Saturday, September 5, 2026,” Senator Kogar stated. “I look forward to a meaningful and constructive conversation on issues affecting Liberia.”
Kogar’s decision to join the roundtable is being viewed as a significant political development, as it brings a sitting senator from Nimba County—one of Liberia’s most vote-rich regions—into direct dialogue with the country’s main opposition coalition.
The senator’s participation is expected to lend legislative weight to discussions that will also address national security and democratic governance. The acceptance occurs against the backdrop of Kogar’s recent expulsion from the MDR, a party previously aligned with the ruling Unity Party.
On August 29, the MDR’s National Executive Committee voted unanimously (33-0) to oust the senator, citing violations of the party’s constitution and his failure to support the party’s endorsed candidate for the Buu-Yao District #5 by-election.
Kogar has accused the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of orchestrating his removal, alleging that a heavy police presence at the party’s headquarters was an attempt to “intimidate and silence legitimate political expression.”
“I strongly believe that what is happening at the MDR Party Headquarters today is a government-backed effort to remove me from the party without due process,” Kogar declared in a prior statement.
His expulsion is widely interpreted as a consolidation of power by Vice President Jeremiah Koung over the MDR’s machinery in Nimba County, escalating a power struggle that has been brewing since the death of the late Senator Prince Y. Johnson. Kogar has vowed to challenge his ouster through legal channels, insisting that “Liberia is a country governed by law.”
Implications for 2027
As Kogar joins the opposition roundtable, his political future hangs in the balance. While he maintains he is “committed to peace, the rule of law, and the democratic process,” his presence at the CDC-led meeting signals a potential shift in alliance. The roundtable, which will be coordinated by Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., is seen as a test of opposition unity.
If Kogar aligns with the opposition, it could significantly alter the electoral calculus in Nimba County for the 2027 elections. His strong electoral base, evidenced by his decisive victory in the April 2025 senatorial by-election (receiving 62,136 votes, or 52.08% of the countywide vote), could prove pivotal if he decides to mobilize his supporters against the ruling coalition.
