Published: June 26, 2026
MONROVIA – Jonathan K. Weedor, Chairman of the National Elections Commission, has begun facing the axe of governance as his office’s decision to reshuffle staff in key leadership positions has attracted concerns, with accusations of wrongful targeting being the objective.
In a statement published on its official Facebook handle, the Commission has refuted the allegation, noting that the action is based on administrative reasons aimed at strengthening fabrics to deliver excellent results before, during and after the 2029 Presidential and Legislative elections. NEC said the action has nothing to do with targeting or getting rid of employees once noted as confidants of Davidetta Brown-Lansanah, the immediate former chairman.
The Director of Communications at the NEC, Titus Tokpa, noted in the Commission’s statement that publications by Frontpage Africa and Women Voices Newspapers linking the Commission to wrongdoing have missed the Commission’s intent, emphasizing that the action did not target anyone out of ill will.
Those affected by the reassignments include Ignatius Wisseh, who has been moved from Deputy Executive Director for Programs to Deputy Director for Monitoring and Evaluation; Cllr. Teage Jalloh, transferred from Senior Legal Counsel to Deputy Hearing Officer; Pauline Kawreh, transferred from Director of Human Resources to Deputy Director of Records and Beatrice Jlopkeh, reassigned from Special Assistant to the Chairperson to Deputy Director of Communications. Also affected by the action was Emmanuel Hare, who has been moved from Administrative Assistant to the Chairman to Logistics Officer.
For NEC, the decision is to realign the Commission and ensure a more robust growth and quality service delivery. For the Commission, the allegation that those affected had been targeted because of their connection with the immediate former Chairman, Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, is unfounded and lacks basis.
“Contrary to claims published by FrontPage Africa and Women Voices Newspapers, the Commission is not targeting employees associated with any former leadership.
The administrative reassignments were made with the consent and support of majority members of the Board of Commissioners (BoC) in line with Chapter 2, Section 2.4 of the New Elections Law of Liberia, which calls for decisions to be made by the Commissioners constituting a quorum of 5 members including the Chairperson. The NEC emphasizes that such assertions are false, misleading, and unsupported by credible evidence,” the NEC statement contains.
Both Frontpage Africa and Women Voices Newspapers attributed their news reports largely to anonymous sources, prompting the NEC to note that the decision is not based on sentiments but normal and routine action that has been carried out in the past and remains in force to attract institutional cohesiveness, emphasizing the media outlets and unnamed accusers lacking evidence that points to any wrongdoing.
“The National Elections Commission of Liberia (NEC-Liberia) clearly states that its latest personnel actions are administrative reassignments intended to strengthen institutional efficiency, improve operational effectiveness, and align with staff capacities with the Commission’s Strategic Plan (2026 – 2030), NEC further clarified.
NEC says there is no evidence to show that the action violates the New Elections Law of Liberia or the NEC Human Resource Manual as implied in the reports.
“Reassignments within public institutions are a normal management practice designed to enhance organizational effectiveness and should not be construed as disciplinary action or demotion. The NEC therefore remains fully committed to ensuring that all personnel decisions are made in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and established administrative procedures. The Commission further remains dedicated to fostering professionalism, accountability, and institutional integrity in the discharge of its constitutional mandate,” the statement concluded.
All efforts to hear from those impacted remain futile queries both in messages and calls went unanswered to.
In a brief phone interview, NEC Chairman, Jonathan K. Weedor, dismissed the claims of targeting the employees, noting that the action is a normal routine within the Commission. “We are not in any violation of the law. We did not dismiss anyone. Transfer or reassignment is normal everywhere people work,” Weedor told The Liberian Investigator.
The NEC Chairman said he is not prepared to go into the merits of the decision, noting that the issue of salary is based on the role one holds or plays coupled with service delivery through competence and qualification.
This means there is no guarantee that Cllr. Teage and others will continue to receive the same amounts as they were earning before resigning from their current positions and taking on lower roles in the portfolio.
NEC concluded that its partners, the general public, political stakeholders, and the government remain a unified entity that is functional and steadfast in its commitment to conducting free, credible, and transparent elections.
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