Published: June 22, 2026
MONROVIA — A local organizing committee of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change in Grand Gedeh County has accused Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung of political sabotage, alleging he is using Grand Gedeh County Sen. Zoe Emmanuel Pennue to block a venue already approved for the party’s 22nd Anniversary and Militants Day celebration.
In a formal communication to CDC National Chairman Augustus Janga Kowo on Monday, the party’s Grand Gedeh sub-committee for the celebration called for immediate intervention by the National Executive Committee, warning that the dispute could raise political tensions in the county.
The committee, chaired by Sampson Bossoe Williams, said organizers followed the required procedures, notifying local authorities and seeking permission to use the public space in front of the historic Tubman Palace for the June 26-27 event. After discussions with county authorities and members of the Joint Security, the committee said, organizers received official approval on June 17 to use the venue.
Williams alleged that local authorities are now trying to reverse that decision.
“To our shock, a few days ago, authorities are attempting to reverse that decision, citing a mandate from Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung through his insecure surrogate Senator Pennue,” Williams wrote.
The committee said the venue has long been open to groups regardless of political or religious affiliation. “Interestingly, this same space was recently granted to other groups, including our Islamic brothers and sisters, without issue. This space is a space that has been used by everyone regardless of political persuasion or religion,” the statement said.
Calling the reported effort politically motivated, the committee accused the vice president of deliberately moving to disrupt the party’s activities in Grand Gedeh. “I write formally alert the National Executive Committee to a deliberate act of political sabotage by Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, acting through his surrogate, Senator Zoe E. Pennue, to disrupt our event,” the statement said.
The organizers warned that the matter could trigger unrest if party leaders do not act quickly. “We therefore request the National Executive Committee to intervene immediately and void the impending violence and chaos Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Sr. is fueling in Grand Gedeh through Senator Zoe E. Pennue,” the committee urged.
The committee said Grand Gedeh has maintained a tradition of peaceful coexistence and cautioned against actions that could threaten that stability. It said it was troubled by reports that Koung, whom it identified as a prominent son of neighboring Nimba County, was becoming involved in local political matters in a way it believes could provoke unrest.
“His action is a potential conflict in motion, which we definitely resist as peace-loving people of Grand Gedeh,” the committee stated.
The committee said it remains hopeful that the National Executive Committee, headed by Kowo, will move swiftly to prevent escalation and ensure the celebration proceeds as planned.
As of press time, neither Koung nor Pennue had publicly responded to the allegations.
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