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Liberian President Weah Withdraws Nigeria’s Nwabudike’s Nomination Over Public Outcry

Published

4 years ago

April 5, 2020

President George Manneh Weah has heeded the advice of FrontPageAfrica and has written Senate Protemp Albert Chea informing the Senate that he (Weah) is withdrawing the nomination of the National Elections Commission (NEC) Chair-designate, Cllr. A. Ndubusi Nwabudike.

In this newspaper’s April 1, 2020 Editorial titled: ‘To Avoid The Many Backlashes, Just Withdraw His Nomination, Mr. President’, we advise the President to do just what he did today.

In President Weah’s withdrawal letter he stated: “Dear Mr. President Pro-Tempore:

I do hereby withdraw nominations for Cllr. A. Ndubusi Nwabudike, Chairman-designate, National Elections Commission and Cllr. Edwin K. Martin, Chairperson-designate, Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, respectively.”

From that Friday, March 20, when the President made the nomination of Cllr. Nwabudike and others known, social media in Liberia went into frenzy. The President’s critics, including opposition politicians and others, had called on the President to rescind the nomination of his friend.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) Chair-designate had mainly been singled out by the President’s critics and others against his nomination largely because of his nationality. Even though, he (Nwabudike) claims to be a naturalized Liberia, he has Nigerian roots.

His two-day appearances before the Senate’s Committee on Autonomous Agencies and Commissions chaired by Sinoe County Senator Milton Teahjay, were marred by performances that were so dismal. Some of have even accused him of being a fraudster.

Before he was nominated for the NEC Chair post, Nwabudike had been the Chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission. As he was being nominated for the NEC post, he was being replaced by Cllr. Edwin Martin. However, the President has also withdrawn Cllr. Martin’s nomination, too, for the post.

It’s not clear whether the President wants to maintain Nwabudike in his previous post. But this will be something very dangerous for the President to do taking into accounts all that have transpired over the last few days in the Senate.