Team Watkins, led by Y. Solomon W. Watkins, has officially rejected the outcome of the Grand Bassa University Student Union- Veteran Association (GBUSUVA) March 29, 2025 elections, citing blatant electoral fraud, voter suppression, ballot tampering, and serious breaches of democratic procedure by the GBUSUVA Independent Election Commission.
The election, which was originally scheduled for 2:30 PM, was suspiciously delayed and held late at night well after the majority of delegates had left the hall. This intentional delay severely undermined transparency and accessibility, allowing for irregularities that corrupted the integrity of the process.
“Our observers were excluded without any explanation,” said Watkins. “I submitted the names of four observers as requested, yet none were permitted to witness the process. This in itself raises red flags.”
Further, critical inconsistencies in the vote tally have been identified. The Chairman of the Commission announced 166 total votes cast, while the Co-Chair reported only 165 total votes. Such a discrepancy is both unprecedented and unacceptable.
More alarmingly, unauthorized voting took place. Delegates who were not on the official registration roll were allowed to cast votes after the voting process had closed. In another disturbing turn of events, the leadership reportedly shut down the generator, plunging the venue into darkness before announcing results that suspiciously flipped the outcome in favor of their preferred candidate after the sorting process.
Team Watkins, which secured four out of eight seats in the Executive Committee, finds it unthinkable and statistically improbable to have lost the Chairmanship election by a margin of 3–4 votes. The only logical conclusion is that the election results were manipulated.
“As young leaders of this country, we must uphold democratic principles,” Watkins stated. “If a national election in Liberia were to be held at night instead of the officially announced time of 8:00 AM, it would spark national outcry. Why should we, as youth leaders, accept these kinds of practices among ourselves? We must set a better standard.”
In response, Team Watkins is calling for an immediate reelection, preceded by:
- A thorough cleaning of the Final Registration Roll (FRR)
- The establishment of clear, transparent, and enforceable electoral guidelines
- Assurance of observer access and voting security
This press release serves as an official declaration: Team Watkins does not and will not recognize the results of the March 29, 2025 GBUSUVA election.
Courtesy: Watkins Media Team