MONROVIA – Minister of Local Government Francis S. Nyumalin has expressed confidence that prominent Lofa County politicians affiliated with the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change will eventually return to the ruling political camp, dismissing their current political activities as temporary.
Speaking during a Kpelle Cultural Festival he organized to promote unity and reconciliation among Lofa residents, Nyumalin specifically referenced former CDC officials and political figures, including former Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee and Janga Kowo.
“Don’t mind what Koijee and Janga Kowo are doing; they will all come back,” Nyumalin said, projecting confidence that the Lofa-born politicians will ultimately return to what he described as their political home.
Nyumalin, a native of Foya, said the cultural gathering was intended to help heal divisions that emerged during the 2023 elections and strengthen unity among residents of the county.
Turning to the political history of the CDC, the minister recalled meeting Cole Bangalu in 2005, describing him as one of the early prominent figures associated with the party.
“The first gentleman of the CDC was called Bangalu, from Lofa County,” Nyumalin said, recounting his encounter with Bangalu.
He argued that the movement of Lofa politicians away from the CDC should not necessarily be interpreted as political expulsion, but rather as a realization that their political interests and identity remain rooted in Lofa County.
“They’re not expelling you. They’re telling you, you don’t belong here. You belong to Lofa. Go home,” he said.
Nyumalin pointed to former CDC officials and lawmakers, including Thomas Fallah, Moses Y. Kollie and Cole Bangalu, as examples of Lofa political figures whom he said have returned to the county’s political fold.
He maintained that other Lofa sons currently aligned with the CDC would eventually follow the same trajectory.
The minister’s remarks come against the backdrop of Liberia’s highly competitive political environment, where Lofa County has remained an important political constituency and a significant source of political leadership.
While Nyumalin framed the cultural gathering as a reconciliation initiative rather than a partisan event, his comments injected a clear political dimension into the occasion, particularly his prediction that opposition figures would eventually return.
“We are happy that Lofa is getting united,” Nyumalin said, emphasizing the importance of reconciliation among Lofa residents.
His remarks are likely to fuel further political debate over the allegiances of prominent Lofa politicians and whether the county’s political figures will remain divided along party lines or increasingly consolidate around local and regional interests.
