By Garmah Never Lomo,garmahlomo@gmail.com
In the wake of mounting pressure and Cllr. Ndubusi Nwabudike’s failure to convince the Liberian Senate about the authenticity of naturalization document, President George Manneh Weah has withdrawn the nomination of his choice for Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC).
President Weah’s withdrawal of the nominee is contained in a letter he addressed to the Senate on Thursday, April 2, 2020.
The Liberian leader gave no reason for the move but it comes after Cllr. Nwabudike provided the Senate conflicting information from various documents submitted to them including his passport, with three different ages being shown. Senators accused the NEC nominee of engaging in fraud and perjury, saying he was not fit for the post, while other members of the Liberian public urged President Weah to withdraw his nomination.
Nwabudike is current head of the Liberia Anti Corruption Commission (LACC). The Liberian leader has also withdrawn his earlier nomination of Cllr. Edwin Martin to head the LACC.
In the wake of the controversy, the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) has mandated its Grievance and Ethics Committee to “expeditiously conduct an investigation into facts and circumstances surrounding issues being raised about the citizenship of Cllr. Ndubuisi Nwanbudike.
Nwanbudike is the man nominated by President Weah to head NEC’s Board of Commissioners. His nomination appears to have it rock bottom, mainly over the legality of his citizenship status, with latest revelation that he applied for citizenship at the time he was four years under the then required constitutional age of 21.
The LNBA wants to establish whether or not he met the requirements of becoming a citizen of Liberia and provide clarification to the public “or proceed with appropriate legal steps if the contrary conclusion is reached” by it.
In a statement released Wednesday, April 1, 2020 in Monrovia, the Bar said its stance on the issues surrounding Nwabudike’s citizenship is predicated on the fact that Section 17.1 of the Judiciary Law, restricts the practice of law in Liberia to only Liberian citizens.
The Bar assured that as the nation’s counsel, it will continue to press for strict adherence to the rule of law by government and citizens in general.
It has also advised the “Government of Liberia to ensure that the citizenry have trust in NEC, so as to have an assurance their will, when expressed at any elections, will be reflected through a transparent and credible process.