Published: March 31, 2025
Monrovia — The Liberia Basketball Association (LBA) remains entangled in a leadership crisis despite the 2023 elections. Rufus Anderson and Abraham Samukai continue to assert their claims as the rightful president, leaving the association divided and uncertain.
The controversy stems from the Elective Congress held on October 31, 2023, where Abraham Samukai narrowly secured the presidency with a 26-25 vote against Jacob Kabakollie. Kabakollie challenged the results in court, alleging irregularities, including discrepancies between the number of votes cast and the delegates recorded during roll call.
Following the legal dispute, the court ordered the LBA to revert to its pre-election status, further intensifying the leadership conflict. Despite this ruling, Samukai, with the backing of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has continued to oversee basketball affairs in Liberia for the past two years.
On March 15, 2025, Samukai’s leadership issued a statement threatening bans against players, coaches, referees, table officials, club presidents, and others who participate in unauthorized basketball events nationwide. This announcement coincides with the launch of Jacob Kabakollie’s Monrovia Madness All-Star Basketball Festival, set to begin in April 2025 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Gymnasium in Paynesville. The festival aims to unite major communities across Montserrado County in a celebration of basketball and community spirit.
Meanwhile, the Executive Committee of the LBA, led by Rufus Anderson, issued a stern warning over the weekend against individuals falsely claiming to represent the association’s leadership. The committee accused these unauthorized individuals of issuing directives for team registrations and soliciting funds from private businesses and public entities on behalf of the LBA, actions deemed misleading and unlawful.
The committee referenced the August 15, 2024, ruling by Judge Ousman F. Feika, which favored Jacob Kabakollie. The court determined that the LBA failed to address allegations of irregularities raised in Kabakollie’s complaint to the Elections Commission. The ruling directed that any leadership other than the pre-election committee should be considered unauthorized.
“These actions not only disrespect the authority of the court but also violate Liberian laws,” the committee stated in a press release.
The Anderson faction urged stakeholders—including club presidents, owners, players, referees, coaches, sports federations, private businesses, and government agencies—not to engage with anyone claiming to represent the LBA until the court delivers a final ruling. They also warned those involved in unauthorized activities to cease immediately, cautioning that failure to comply could result in disciplinary measures.
At the same time, Jacob Kabakollie, founder and CEO of Vision Basketball, reiterated his refusal to engage with the contested leadership of the LBA regarding the Monrovia Madness All-Star Basketball Festival. He dismissed threats from Samukai’s leadership, asserting, “The tournament will proceed, and I will not write them because they are not the legitimate leadership of the Liberia Basketball Association.”
Addressing criticism over Vision Basketball’s participation in an African Basketball Festival in Accra, Ghana—where the team achieved an impressive third-place finish—Kabakollie clarified that the invitation was sent directly to Vision Basketball, not Liberia’s basketball governing body. “The invitation was received on June 1, 2024, specifically for Vision Basketball,” he stated.
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