Published: September 2, 2024
MONROVIA — Nearly 10 months after the internal conflict within the Liberia Basketball Association (LBA) was resolved with the election of a new leadership team, tensions have resurfaced. The November 2023 electoral congress saw the election of Abraham Samukai as president, alongside Yanquoi Borsay as vice president for administration, Bruce Quaye as vice president for operations, and Malcolm Joseph as treasurer.
However, a recent verdict from the Civil Law Court against Darlington Cheeks’ electoral commission has reignited the conflict. On Tuesday, August 27, 2024, former LBA President Rufus Anderson convened an executive committee meeting to restructure the 2023 Election Committee. The committee has been mandated to address a complaint filed by the defeated presidential candidate, Jacob Kabakollie.
Speaking to journalists, former Secretary-General Sam Theophilus Wilson disclosed that the executive committee meeting followed an August 15, 2024 ruling by the Civil Law Court. Kabakollie, who lost the election by a narrow margin of 26-25 votes to sitting president Samukai, petitioned the court, alleging that the number of votes cast exceeded the 48 delegates present at the roll call.
The court’s ruling, a copy of which is in possession of The Liberian Investigator, directs the electoral commission to investigate Kabakollie’s complaint within 14 days.
l-r Former President Rufus Anderson and Sam Theophilus Wilson
“The Clerk of the Court is accordingly ordered to communicate with the leadership of the Liberia Basketball Association to reconstitute the elections commission headed by Mr. Darlington Cheeks for the singular purpose of conducting a full investigation into the complaint by the petitioner and to submit a report to this court within 14 days of this ruling. Consequently, all parties of the Liberia Basketball Association are ordered to return to Status Quo Ante pending the outcome of the investigation and the conclusion of this case. And it is hereby ordered,” ruled Judge Ousman Feika of the Civil Law Annex.
When contacted by The Liberian Investigator, 2023 Election Commission Chairman Darlington Cheeks confirmed receipt of a communication from Anderson’s leadership.
“We received the letter on Thursday, August 29, dated August 28. Engagements start officially on Monday,” Cheeks said.
Tensions have been apparent since the election, as Vice Presidents for Administration and Operations, Yanquoi Borsay and Bruce Quaye, have refused to cooperate with the Samukai administration. Both men were part of the team led by complainant Jacob Kabakollie.
The internal wrangling within the LBA began in 2019, leading to Liberia’s suspension from all basketball activities by FIBA (Federation of International Basketball Associations) for four years. The ban was lifted last year, allowing Liberia to make its first international appearance a month ago at the U-18 and U-19 Afrobasket Championship in Ivory Coast.
As the Samukai leadership concludes its first national league after the crisis, it remains unclear how the latest court action will impact the LBA’s future.
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