MONROVIA, Liberia – February 7, 2026 — Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala, a Liberian lawyer and former national campaign spokesman for the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), has officially resigned from the party, saying he can no longer align with its current direction, a letter in our possession shows.
In a formal resignation letter dated February 6, 2026, addressed to CDC Chairman Janga A. Kowo, Gbala thanked party leaders for opportunities over the years including serving as National Spokesman of the CDC-2023 campaign team but said the party’s current agenda has “become increasingly illusory and lacking definable shape.”
He stated that his departure will allow him to engage “critically and objectively” with both the government and opposition on issues of national importance.
The letter was released under the banner of the Liberia Political Centrism Movement, which Gbala currently leads positioning itself as an independent, centrist force aimed at bridging political divides and prioritizing national development over partisan loyalty.
Appointment by President Boakai
Just before his resignation, Gbala received a major appointment from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, reflecting his growing influence in the UP Administration where he has already been doing series of consultancies.
President Boakai appointed Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala, Chairperson of the Liberia Political Centrism Movement to the Board of Trustees of Grand Gedeh University, where he will represent the Grand Gedeh Bar Association. 
The appointment is widely seen by Kanio and others as part of President Boakai’s effort to broaden governance participation beyond traditional party lines, bringing in voices from civil society, legal practitioners, and leaders of emergent political movements. Members of the Unity Party administration described Gbala’s appointment as an inclusive gesture aimed at strengthening national cohesion and leveraging diverse expertise for education policy and regional development. 
Background on Kanio Bai Gbala
Cllr. Gbala holds both LL.B and LL.M degrees and is well known within Liberia’s legal and political spheres. Before his resignation, he served in leadership roles including Vice Chair of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and Vice President of the Grand Gedeh Bar Association. 
His tenure as CDC campaign spokesman made him one of the party’s most visible public voices during the 2023 elections. However, increasing ideological differences and a desire for more independent policy engagement prompted his shift to centrism a move that has drawn both praise and criticism across Liberia’s political spectrum.
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