By: Emmanuel T. Quiah
Maryland County Reporter
Pleebo, Maryland- The Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) coordinator election in Maryland County has been halted indefinitely after local youth and observers expressed a vote of no confidence in the FLY delegates who traveled from the nationa capital to oversee the process.
The controversy began on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at the Pleebo City Hall, a venue forcefully chosen over the official site in the county capital, Harper. This unexpected change sparked discontent among many youth leaders.
The situation escalated into chaos as tensions rose between opposing youth groups. Reports of physical assaults surfaced, and security personnel from the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) were forced to intervene to ensure safety and restore order outside the election hall.
Some participants, speaking to reporters about the disrupted election, stated that the Independent Election Commission (IEC) had released all rules and regulations guiding the process and had successfully completed the registration and vetting of candidates.
Samuel Clinton, a youth representative from Pleebo District, told reporters that the IEC had officially scheduled the election for Wednesday, June 25 at 10:00 a.m.
However, Clinton revealed that, contrary to the plan, 50% of the delegates and candidates who arrived at the venue were shocked to heard that the election had supposedly concluded with one candidate, Victor Williams, allegedly declared the winner. No information was provided regarding the number of votes he received or the identity of those who voted, as neither his opponents nor the full list of delegates were present during the supposed vote.
The incident has sparked heated debates and condemnation, with many describing it as a blow to FLY’s credibility and a potential threat to the peace and unity among young people in the region.
Anthony Lanford Jr., Chairperson of the Independent Election Commission, expressed deep frustration over the way FLY officials handled the election.
“It’s unfortunate that I, as the head of the election commission, was not recognized upon their arrival in the county. I just got to the election venue and heard that the process had already ended. This is a complete embarrassment to youth leadership in Maryland and Liberia as a whole. I was not consulted or even regarded, despite being certified by FLY’s national executive to serve in this role,” he stated.
Commissioner Lanford emphasized that, from his perspective, the Independent Election Commission was not informed of any official election taking place and maintains that the process has not even begun.
He confirmed that the election has been postponed indefinitely, pending consultations with relevant authorities.
The irregularities of this year Fly’s elections started from Grand Gedeh and River Gee counties and now Maryland, the team will be heading to Grand Kru and Sinoe counties to compete the Southeast region.
