Tension Surrounds Batahoi Town Chief Election as Disqualified Candidate Rejects Results
Alhaji Mashalat Sheriff A disputed Town Chief election in Batahoi Village, Kpanga Chiefdom, has left the community divided following the disqualification of a leading candidate and the subsequent declaration of a new local leader.
On September 26, 2026, Assistant District Officer Tommy Komeh declared Yankuba Bockarie Kaitibie the winner of the Batahoi Town Chief Election after he secured 224 votes. However, the outcome has been met with controversy following the last-minute disqualification of his opponent, Mustapha Kondowai.
According to community sources, the Vetting Committee disqualified Kondowai on the grounds that he lacked a legitimate bloodline connection to the traditional leadership of the town.
Speaking on behalf of the Vetting Committee, Michael Jusus Vandy said the decision was based on local history and testimonies from community elders.
“Batahoi has historically had two recognised ruling houses for the Town Chief position, and the Kondowai family is not among those two,” Vandy stated.
He maintained that the decision was based on established criteria and historical records, rejecting claims that the disqualification was motivated by personal differences, malice or targeted bias.
Kondowai and his supporters have rejected the vetting process and the election outcome. Speaking to the press, Kondowai described his disqualification as unjust and said he and his supporters would not cooperate with the newly elected chief.
Campaign supporter Saidu Fofana also said they would neither recognise the election results nor work with Kaitibie. He maintained that the community would only accept the process if Kondowai were given an opportunity to contest the election.
The declaration of Kaitibie as Town Chief has therefore left Batahoi Village facing divisions within the community, with questions surrounding the election process and the disqualification of one of the leading candidates remaining a subject of contention.