SUMTUL Endorses Edith Gongloe-Weh Senatorial Bid, Rejects Government-Backed Candidate Samuel Kogar in Nimba County By-Election

Monrovia, Liberia: In a politically charged declaration that is likely to reshape the dynamic in the Nimba County Senatorial By-election slated for April 22, 2025, the Supreme Motorcycle Transport Union of Liberia (SUMTUL Incorporated) has officially endorsed the candidate Edith Gongloe-Weh, concurrently rejecting the government-backed candidate, Representative Samuel Kogar.

By: Abraham Sylvester Panto

The SUMTUL leadership, speaking with an assertiveness that mirrored growing frustration among its ranks, declared that commercial motorcyclists across Nimba County have been instructed to withhold their support from what it described as a “state-sponsored political maneuver.”

Delivering the union’s official position statement during a press engagement in Monrovia, SUMTUL National President Trokon Grayginho Gray condemned the Boakai administration’s continued enforcement of “no-go-zone” restrictions, an action he says systematically targets and disenfranchises motorcyclists across the country.

“We motorcyclists are not stupid,” the union president remarked emphatically. “It is the height of political hypocrisy to extort millions in taxes from our labor, only to criminalize our right to movement and access in the name of urban policy and security.”

Framing the restrictions as a violation of constitutional liberties, President Gray noted that the so-called ‘No-Go-Zone’ policies have not only impeded the ability of motorcyclists to earn a living but have also reinforced systemic discrimination against young people in the informal transport sector.

The SUMTUL president further argued that the very communities from which the government extracts revenue are those most marginalized in national policy discussions, thus justifying the union’s decision to take a definitive political stance ahead of the pending senatorial by-election.

According to him, SUMTUL endorsement of Madam Gongloe-Weh did not emerge from unilateral leadership authority but rather stemmed from a carefully coordinated resolution passed by the National Executive Committee (NEC) and ratified by county coordinators, district leaders, and chairpersons of parking stations.

He lauded SUMUTUL Board Chairman Joseph Roberts, along with his board members, for what he described as “strategic foresight and principled leadership,” which laid the groundwork for a unified campaign across Liberia’s second-most populous county.

“This decision is not a gamble—it is a calculated investment in inclusive governance, grassroots development, and the restoration of dignity to a class of citizens long treated as expendable,” President Gray emphasized.

Beyond its political dimension, the endorsement is also being celebrated within the union as a progressive gesture toward gender equity, with Gray describing Gongloe-Weh as a “resilient symbol of the ordinary Liberian woman who refuses to be silenced or sidelined.”

In highlighting her qualifications, the union's leadership pointed to Gongloe-Weh’s consistent advocacy on behalf of disenfranchised citizens, her record of development contributions within Nimba County, and her tenure in public service—hallmarked by accountability, humility, and vision.

“She is not merely a political figure,” the union boss asserted, “but a seasoned public servant whose character has withstood the corrosive tendencies of corruption and patronage.”

The SUMTUL’s endorsement also signifies a departure from the traditional perception of motorcyclists as a political reactionary organization, signaling a growing desire among grassroots organizations to shape political outcomes through direct participation and principled alliance.

President Gray articulated that SUMTUL's campaign in support of Gongloe-Weh will be driven by a multi-pronged strategy encompassing mass mobilization, strategic communication, and interpersonal outreach across Nimba’s diverse electoral districts.