NEC Clarifies Legal Basis for Magistrate Appointment Amid Local Demonstration In Bong County

MONROVIA, LIBERIA: The National Elections Commission (NEC) of Liberia has broken silence following Wednesday, January 7, Protest at its Upper Bong County Magisterial Office, where a group of local residents challenged the appointment of Mr. Alfred W. Tokpa as Senior Elections Magistrate. 

The demonstrators, led by A. Franklin C. Flomo III, presented a 10-count petition to Bong County Superintendent Loleyah Hawa Norris, asserting that magistrates should be selected from within the counties they serve.

The petitioners argued that Mr. Tokpa’s non-indigeneity and previous service in Nimba and Grand Gedeh counties made his appointment unsuitable and could undermine local confidence in electoral administration. 

The Aggrieved Protesters also questioned the selection process following the death of former Magistrate Daniel Newland, claiming the appointment lacked transparency and merit-based procedures.

In its statement issued Thursday, January 8, 2026 in Monrovia, NEC stated, “Such claims are false, misleading, and unsupported by the Elections Law of Liberia,” emphasizing that the Commission’s authority to appoint Elections Magistrates is strictly administrative and organizational. 

The release added, “Our appointments are aimed at ensuring the efficient, transparent, and credible conduct of electoral activities across all counties and electoral districts, and are in no way contingent upon a birth-county or native-status requirement.”

Regarding Mr. Tokpa, the Commission noted, “Mr. Alfred W. Tokpa is a seasoned and long-serving staff member of the Commission who previously served as a Regional Coordinator. His appointment as Elections Magistrate for Upper Bong County was carried out in full compliance with the Elections Law, and he exemplifies the core values and professional standards of the Commission.”

NEC-Liberia also warned that interference with its lawful functions could have legal consequences, stating, “The Commission cautions all individuals and groups against actions that have the potential to disrupt the normal operations of any NEC office. Any recurrence of such unlawful activities will compel the Commission to pursue appropriate legal remedies, and those involved will face the full weight of the law.”

The release reaffirmed, however, that the Commission remains “steadfast in upholding its core values of independence, credibility, transparency, and professionalism in the administration of public elections throughout the Republic of Liberia.”