Published: January 20, 2026
MONROVIA — The Ministry of Youth and Sports has upheld the Oct. 24, 2025 elections of the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), affirming Duku Jallah as the legitimate president and validating the current leadership’s mandate amid months of dispute.
The decision followed a directive from the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court for Montserrado County, presided over by Judge J. Boima Kontoe, ordering the ministry to resume administrative hearings into complaints surrounding the election. After reviewing submissions and conducting hearings, the ministry concluded that the process was lawful, credible and procedurally sound.
In a final report submitted to the court, the ministry’s Administrative Hearing Committee said the election “enjoys a presumption of legality which has not been displaced” and that there is “no administrative basis to disturb the outcome of the election pending any contrary judicial determination.”
The complaint was filed by United Youth for Development Services (UYDS), which raised allegations including changes to the voting venue and questions about electoral procedures. However, the committee said it found no material irregularities capable of affecting the outcome of the election.
The committee also cited separate engagements with FLY’s Independent National Elections Commission (INEC) and the FLY Board of Advisors, which it said reinforced the integrity of the process.
In its findings, the committee noted that the elected leadership under Jallah demonstrated “good faith,” openness and a willingness to pursue unity and reconciliation, even as aggrieved parties continued to call for the election to be canceled and rerun without presenting conclusive evidence.
FLY, in its submissions, argued that the election was conducted in line with its constitution and established practices, and that no court order existed at the time suspending the vote. The federation also maintained that INEC properly administered the process and declared the final results — positions the committee accepted in its conclusions.
Reacting to the decision, Jallah described the ministry’s ruling as a victory for youth democracy and institutional credibility.
“This ruling is a clear affirmation of the rule of law and the credibility of youth-led democratic processes in Liberia,” Jallah said. “Our focus now is unity, healing, and delivering on the mandate given to us by young people across the country. The doors remain open for collaboration, reconciliation, and progress.”
The committee also referenced guidance from the National Legislature, which advised the ministry to refrain from interfering in FLY’s internal affairs — a point the report said underscored the federation’s autonomy and the legitimacy of its electoral process.
With the ministry’s final report now submitted to the court, the administrative phase of the dispute is effectively concluded, reinforcing Jallah’s position as FLY president and clearing the way for the federation to refocus on youth advocacy and national development engagement.
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