What is believed to be a controversy reportedly has marred the declaration of intent of the senatorial bid of Representative Edwin Melvin Snowe of Electoral District #1, Bomi County, in the pending midterm poll scheduled for December 8.
In early July, some chiefs and elders in the county reported to have written Snowe asking him to withdraw from the senatorial race and wait for the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections but that he must first make good on his campaign promises of 2017, while another group of chiefs and elders wrote him also supporting his participation in the pending election for the higher seat of the county.
Based on that, Snowe decided to honor the two invitations jointly by attending the Tubmanburg mass meeting of Bomi County residents with voting right.
There and then, Snowe displayed the two letters addressed to him to the embarrassment of the traditional people but one of those letters especially the one that asked him to abandon his ambition was frowned at by some of the local leaders during the mass meeting held on Wednesday, July 22 in Tubmanburg.
Another section of the chiefs and elders considered as “dissidents” believe to be behind the other letter that does not want Snowe’s participation in the midterm poll immediately surfaced at Radio Bomi to defend their action but could not do such in the presence of Snowe at the meeting.
Among them were Arthur Gray, Joseph Lawson, Mayama Jah and others expressing disappointment in some of their colleagues. Earlier, before those chiefs and elders could disclaim one of the communications, they went into almost an hour of caucus talks behind closed door on the sideline of the gathering.
Prior to the meeting, former Senator of Bomi County, Lahai Lansannah, had declared support to Snowe’s candidacy and announced his withdrawal from the process. Lansannah and his wife were allegedly beaten and stripped nude by state security during the 2014 midterm poll, an incident which might have caused Lansannah to back off.
With the dust somehow settled following a division in the rank and file of the local opinion leaders, Snowe could be among 10 others including Salue Kimba, Zobon Norman, Adama Soko Dorley, Alex Tyler, James Cooper and incumbent Sando Johnson.
In the foregoing, Snowe is in pool standing among the voters due to his generosity to both the old and young people and that was demonstrated on Wednesday, July 22, when he received a rousing welcome in Tubmanburg by residents from all walks of life in the county.
Snowe is bankrolling L$2 million scholarships scheme for dozens of students attending the Community College, construction of market structures in every electoral districts, a farm where hundreds of residents are employed making daily living for themselves and families amongst developmental initiatives.
Besides Snowe, former Speaker J. Alexander Tyler is next in line. He has a residence and a farm where some of the locals are employed as well working for their daily bread, but perhaps due to his lack of generosity toward their people in dishing out handouts when he served in the national legislature for over 10 years could have an effect on his campaign and election bid.
Tyler might not be the only politician to be in such “poor standing” with the voters or residents in Bomi County. Others like farmer-turned-politician, James Cooper, producer of locally made plastic materials from his rubber farm until he was dragged to court on alleged fraud charges levied against him by some individuals including Senator Sando Johnson could have it tough.
Also in poor position is the Community College’s former President and one time contestant for the Press Union of Liberia (PUL’s) Presidency in 1998, Zobon Norman. He had been impacting knowledge to tomorrow’s young people not only as Head of the college then, but as a lecturer as well.
Norman could be popular with the students of Bomi County’s Community College, the intelligentsia or academicians known as book people but may not be with the ordinary people who might believe he and others have not done much to convince them in terms of direct assistance (handouts) to win their votes.
Similar fate seems to be facing the re-election of Sando Johnson; election of Salue Kimba, Adama Soko Dorley, and others.