PHOTO: Justice in Chambers Yusif D. Kaba
Contending parties in the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) have been given a one-week period to thrash out their dispute over the controversial PUL elective congress held over the weekend in Gbarnga, Bong County, during a conference held with them by the Supreme Court Justice in Chambers, Yusif D. Kaba on Wednesday.
Justice Kaba summoned the contending parties based on a petition filed by the team Julius Kanubah for a writ of prohibition against results of the controversial in Gbarnga on November 18, 2022 that declared incumbent Vice President Daniel Nyankonah President of the PUL.
Mr. Nyakonah got 333 votes, while his opponent Julius Kanubah got 15 votes for the presidency. On the other hand, Bettie Johnson Mbayo accumulated 311 votes while her contender got 21 votes. A total of 346 persons participated in the process with 2 invalid votes. The PUL is said to have a membership of over 1,400. Thus, the petition for a writ of prohibition was filed shortly after the process.Supreme Court Comes Down With Prohibition Writ, After PUL’s Controversial Election – News Public Trust
Meanwhile, both parties have given positive reaction to Wednesday’s meeting with Associate Justice Kaba.
Incumbent Vice President, Daniel Nyakonah who was declared winner of last Saturday-Sunday’s controversial election, said that his team is open to reconciliation as mandated by Associate Justice.
“Mr. Nyakonah is urging team Julius to honor the pending reconciliation initiative. At the same time, Team Daniel is calling on its supporters to remain calm as the judicial process. The campaign team said the Gbarnga vote is legitimate until the final judgment from the Supreme court,” a statement from the team Daniel-Bettie said.
Julius Kanubah, the opposing presidential candidate in the PUL 2022 election said in this statement on Wednesday: The National Campaign Management Team of the Julius Kanubah for the Presidency of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has welcomed the “words of encouragement” from Associate Justice Yussif D. Kaba, admonishing all sides to the controversy surrounding the 2022 PUL Congress to meet and find a solution to the disputed PUL Congress and subsequent elections.
The statement added:
“Team Kanubah also commends Associate Justice Kaba for his judicial interrogative expertise and perspectives about the implications of the conflict surrounding an institution in the nature of the PUL, which is not healthy for the larger Liberian society, and if not resolved amicably could drag on and reach the full bench of the Supreme Court.”