The National Patriotic Party (NPP) founded by former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, is facing renewed internal disagreements as concerned partisans and several county chairpersons call for a suspension of activities leading to the party’s planned December 2026 National Convention.
The aggrieved members, operating under the banner of NPP-CPP, have questioned the legitimacy of the decision to proceed with the convention, alleging that it was unilaterally taken by one faction amid an unresolved leadership dispute within the party.
According to the group, the decision violates the NPP’s constitution and relevant provisions of Liberia’s electoral laws. The group has argued that the convention process should not continue until the party addresses the outstanding leadership concerns and follows the appropriate constitutional procedures.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, October 31, 2026, representatives of the group announced plans to seek legal redress before the National Elections Commission (NEC), asking the electoral body to intervene in the matter.
The concerned partisans further maintained that the proposed convention lacks the necessary institutional approval, claiming that it was not endorsed by majority members of the party’s National Executive Committee but rather a support of a few members.
However, NPP Chairman George Mulbah has maintained that the party will proceed with its December convention, dismissing reports that the exercise could be postponed. He has also accused some party officials of orchestrating efforts to frustrate the convention process.
The latest disagreement has come against the backdrop of the party’s controversial 2023 National Convention in Paynesville, where rival factions associated with former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor and Senator James Biney clashed over disagreements surrounding delegates’ list.
That incident reportedly resulted in violence, damage to the convention venue, and at least one reported death, further deepening divisions within the party and leaving its leadership structure contested by rival groups.
With the December 2026 convention approaching, the latest developments have renewed concerns about whether the NPP can resolve its internal disagreements through established party procedures and avoid a recurrence of the violence that characterized its previous convention.
As the aggrieved partisans prepare to approach the NEC while Chairman Mulbah remains firm on proceeding with the exercise, attention is now focused on the party’s leadership and the electoral authorities to determine how the dispute will be addressed ahead of the planned convention.
