Erol Madison Gwion
Erol Madison Gwion Sr. (November 25, 1964 – December 4, 2023) was a Liberian politician.
Biography
[edit]Gwion was born on November 25, 1964.[1]
Gwion was a member of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).[2] In the 2021 by-election, Gwion contested the Grand Gedeh County #1 District seat in the House of Representatives of Liberia with the Liberia Restoration Party. In this election, he defeated the ruling party CDC candidate Jeremiah Garwo Sokan.[3] In April 2022, Gwion established the District Development Council. He claimed to donate fifty percent of his salary to the organization, which sought, according to FrontPage Africa, to contribute "to community empowerment and development".[4][5]
In July 2023, ahead of the October House elections, Gwion returned to the CDC. By this time he was serving as secretary general of the Grand Gedeh County Legislative Caucus.[2] In mid-2023, Gwion suffered an illness which prevented him from campaigning for his re-election. In 2023 House election, Gwion was re-elected regardless.[6] In November 2023, false rumours on social media had been spread that Gwion died.[7] Gwion died on December 4, at the age of 59.[1] Some sources say he was in Accra, Ghana, others claim he was in India.[1][7][6][8] The election was set to be certified on December 8.[1]
Following confirmation of Gwion's death, a group of young supporters of Gwion set fire to Grand Gedeh County Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennoh's house in Zwedru on December 5. There were accusations against Senator Pennoh, claiming he was involved in Gwion's death. He has denied the allegations. The police reported calm returned to the area after eight hours.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Liberia: 55th Legislature Records 1st Death". Liberian Observer. December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Kwame (July 21, 2023). "Rep. Gwion Backs Pres. Weah 2nd Term; Excited Over Return To CDC". Liberian News Agency. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ Sieh, Rodney (November 18, 2021). "Liberia: By-Election Results Suggest Voters Rejected Politics of Ego, Numbers Boast". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Liberia: Sen. Pennue in 'Disagreement' with CDC's Choice of Senatorial Candidate". FrontPage Africa. June 20, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Liberia: 50% Pay Split: Rep. Gwion Downs 2022 with US$30,000; L$1.1M to District". FrontPage Africa. January 16, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ a b c Lomax, Selma (December 6, 2023). "Liberia: Lawmaker's Death Sparks Tension In Zwedru". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ a b "BREAKING: Grand Gedeh District 1 Representative, Erol Madison Gwion Is Dead". Global News Network Liberia. December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Rep. Madison Gwion Is Dead -As Angry Supporters In Disarray In Zwedru". The Inquirer Newspaper. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.