—Condemns Leadership Impersonation.
MONROVIA – Worried about the injured reputation of the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), the biggest umbrella organization of Liberia’s youth community, Togar Melvin Cephas, Chairman of the governing Unity Party’s National Youth Congress, has called for the intervention of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in settling the leadership crisis in the organization and save its integrity.
Amidst growing disagreements and concerns about massive irregularities, including constitutional violations and alleged manipulation to disenfranchise organizational and thousands of individual members, the Ministry of Youth & Sports, following consultations and in line with its statutory mandate, took a decision to suspend the October 2025 General Assembly of FLY, pending the resolution of contending issues.
Despite the Ministry’s action, some minority members of FLY, controversially went ahead to hold what they call an election which produced a new leadership headed by Ernest Duku Jallah, in the face of fierce resistance from potential candidates such as Samuel James Kpartor and Mandela S. Gbollie, as well as other interest groups including the Student Unification Party (SUP) of the University of Liberia, amongst others.
It can be recalled that following the purported FLY election which is said to have produced Ernest Duku Jallah as President, SUP issued a strong warning to Jallah and his associates to desist from masquerading as FLY’s leadership or face the appropriate resistance from the campus based political party, as part of moves to preserve the history and integrity of the Federation of Liberian Youth.
“The Vanguard Student Unification Party strongly warns Duku Jallah against his criminal impersonation oas President of the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY). Jallah is neither elected, recognized, nor authorized by the legitimate constitutional structures of FLY to speak, act, or represent the organization in any capacity. His impersonation constitutes a deliberate act of deception, robbery of institutional authority, and an affront to millions of young people of Liberia,” SUP declared.
The student group emphasized that as members of FLY and the Liberian People await a transparent and open election, SUP will not hesitate to institute consistent and unspecified actions if Duku Jallah continues to purport as FLY President, and that the party would do all it can to uphold the rule of law and defend the integrity of FLY as the umbrella institution for the young people of Liberia.
“The Federation of Liberian Youth is no frivolous dating club. If Banica or Duku dare to meddle in FLY’s affairs, we will unleash utter pandemonium on them. Student Unification Party will enforce iron-fisted discipline upon those rebellious militants and veterans who dare challenge the party decisive stance,” SUP added.
The Six Judicial Circuit Court (Civil Law Court) at the Temple of Justice, had earlier placed a preliminary injunction on the October 24—-26 General Assembly and electoral process of FLY after James Samuel Kpartor, Provisional Candidate for President; Mandela S. Gbollie, Provisional Candidate for President; Varney C. Hilton of the United Youth for Development Services, together with other FLY members, petitioned the Civil Law Court for the Preliminary Injunction, seeking to halt the General Assembly and election.
It had become increasingly clear in the two weeks leading to the now suspended General Assembly, that the process would not be held as planned due to growing dissatisfaction and pressure mounted on the Ministry of Youth & Sports by aspirants and member organizations to halt the activities due to concerns about irregularities.
One of the petitioners and provisional candidate, Mr. James Samuel Kpartor, had earlier led about 30 associate and full individual and organizational members of FLY in raising alarms that the outgoing leadership of FLY reneged to respect the constitution, which mandates them to inform member organizations about the electoral process, but instead decided to dubiously conduct the process and
exclude the majority of youth organizations from participating.
The aggrieved youths organizations further complained that the FLY General Assembly process was marked by fraud because vital information relating to the regularization of member organizations were largely hidden.
Despite the suspension of the General Assembly and election, amidst efforts to calm down aggrieved FLY members and find an amicable resolution to the crisis, Duku Jallah and others continue to refer to themselves as the newly elected leadership of FLY, raising concerns that the matter could degenerate as majority members of the organization (FLY) grow impatient.
The impasse and its associated implications have claimed the attention of the National Youth Congress of the governing Unity Party, prompting its national chair, T. Melvin Cephas to call for the intervention of President Boakai, whom he described as a veteran youth leader and father of the nation.
Speaking Tuesday, November 11, 2025, via mobile phone on the popular OK Conversation show, Cephas said the President’s intervention would help restore calm, save the integrity of FLY, and ensure a credible general assembly and a free, fair and democratic electoral process that would produce a legitimate leadership, and not small group of people hijacking the leadership of the largest and one of the most respected youth organizations of the country.
He expressed shock that besides attempting to defy the statutory authority of the Ministry of Youth & Sports, an organization like FLY would go to election affecting the 15 political subdivisions of the country, and yet, even the media and key bodies are barely aware and are still asking questions about such a process.
Cephas cautioned Duku Jallah and his team to refrain from further exposing FLY to public disrepute and abide by the suspension action taken by the Ministry of Youth & Sports. He expressed hope that President Boakai would swiftly intervene and bring the matter to a peaceful and acceptable end, considering the significance of the youth community and its sensitive role in Liberia’s democratic advancement.
