This past Liberian president holds a notorious world record

fuad lawal

April 16, 2015 10:47 PM

King was stiffly challenged in the presidential election of 1927 by Thomas J.R. Faulkner

King was stiffly challenged in the presidential election of 1927 by Thomas J.R. Faulkner. According to an official statement, King received 234,000 votes. However, Liberia had 15,000 registered voters at the time. This won King the dubious achievement of being listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the most fraudulent election reported in history.

After losing the election, Faulkner accused many members of the True Whig Party government of recruiting and selling contract labor as slaves. A report by the League of Nations by a commission under the leadership of British jurist Cuthbert Christy found no evidence of Faulkner's allegations. However, the report did find that some government officials, including vice president Allen Yancy were allowing and participating in questionable labor recruiting practices. Yancy and King resigned over the scandal in December 1930. At President King's eulogy, president Tubman re-iterated King's innocence in the scandal.

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

Get rewards worth up to $20 when selected to participate in our exclusive focus group. Your input will help us to make informed decisions that align with your needs and preferences.

I've got feedback!

fuad lawal