Monrovia – After months of legal and political turmoil, Representative J. Fonati Koffa has officially resigned as Speaker of the House of Representatives. In his resignation address on Monday, Koffa was frank about his reasons, citing what he called the Executive Branch’s failure to honor a Supreme Court ruling affirming his speakership.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, gerald.koinyeneh@frontpageafricaonline.com

“The Supreme Court made a clarification. I think even the smallest child in school could understand what the Court said. It said Fonati is the Speaker. Any other thing that happened was illegal,” Koffa stated. “Then the rules of the game shifted when the President said he would go back to his original posture, which was to deal with a majority bloc. Once that changed, we had to assess our own participation in what is going on.”

President Joseph Boakai has faced growing criticism for his perceived role in the prolonged impasse within the House. Many expected him to fully implement the Supreme Court’s ruling and extend all privileges and immunities to Speaker Koffa, including security. Instead, Boakai responded by stating he would work with a functional quorum—effectively endorsing the Majority Bloc that refused to recognize the Court’s decision.

Koffa said the situation had become untenable, especially after intelligence of potential violence at the Capitol and increasing militarization within the Legislature.

“Our choice was to either go tomorrow to the Capitol and risk a repeat of violence or to avoid that. One of the things we try to do is avoid it,” Koffa said.

Majority Bloc has suffered sharp criticism for flouting the Supreme Court ruling, citing Rep. Richard Koon’s open defiance and Rep. James Kollie’s threat to initiate impeachment proceedings against the Justices. The Bloc also withheld the salaries and benefits of lawmakers it had suspended—actions the Supreme Court later ruled as illegal.

“How long can I ask my 60 employees, who have not been paid for six months, to stay on?” Koffa asked. “How can I ask my colleagues, who have endured this battle, to keep going—especially when we began losing some of our most committed members after the President’s statement?”

Addressing rumors that he was paid to step down, Koffa strongly denied any financial inducement.

“If I wanted to take money for this, that would’ve happened before the ruling, when it would’ve been more valuable. We’ve gone six, seven months with no pay, no gas, nothing. S,o at the end of all this, it’s unfair to say we took money. The only thing we want is for our legitimate benefits and salaries to be restored.”

He confirmed that discussions were held prior to his resignation concerning the reinstatement of his suspended colleagues.

“Yes, we had discussions. I indicated my intent to resign and requested that the salaries and benefits of my colleagues be paid. That led to another meeting, during which they received assurances that this would happen.”

Regarding staff members still detained in connection to the Capitol Building fire, Koffa called for international investigators to take over the probe.

“We’ve always said this: I cannot negotiate a criminal matter in a political settlement. It suggests I’m guilty. Because this case has been so politicized, I’m calling on international investigators to handle it. Whatever their findings are, we’ll accept.”

Asked whether his resignation was part of a deal for a new Speaker to be elected, he responded:

“I can’t negotiate the law. Once I resign, a vacancy is created. And by law, a new Speaker must be elected. That’s the constitutional mandate.”

On what lies ahead for him, Koffa revealed plans to publish a book titled “From 1 to 73: The Conspiracy at the Capitol”, chronicling his ordeal.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has acknowledged receipt of Koffa’s resignation and announced plans to hold a fresh election today, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. In a statement issued by Press and Public Affairs Director Robert Benjamin Haynes, the House confirmed the session would begin at 10:00 AM to elect a new Speaker in accordance with the Constitution and House Rules.

“The House remains committed to upholding democratic values and working diligently in service to the Liberian people,” the statement concluded.

Although the Majority Bloc previously ignored the Supreme Court’s verdict affirming Koffa’s position, observers say this development presents Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah with an opportunity to restore credibility and order to the House by presiding over a fair and transparent election within the 60-day period required by law.

Potential Contenders Emerge

Meanwhile, following the announcement, two names have emerged as possible contenders for the speakership: Musa Bility and Richard Koon.

Bility’s bid: A test of Opposition Unity

Representative Musa Bility, Chairman of the House Minority under the Rule of Law Caucus, is positioning himself as a unifier of lawmakers disillusioned by recent political developments, particularly the controversial distribution of legislative committees during Koon’s interim leadership. His bloc remained largely intact throughout the seven-month stalemate that eventually forced Koffa’s resignation.

Bility has received a key endorsement from Koffa himself, and analysts believe this may help him draw support from disgruntled members of the Majority Bloc.

However, Bility’s path to the speakership faces a significant hurdle: the Executive’s reported interest in having a Speaker aligned with its agenda. This political pressure, backed by potential financial incentives, could sway undecided lawmakers to back Koon.

Koon’s Candidacy: Executive Backing, but Internal Doubts

Representative Koon, considered the leading figure of the pro-Executive Majority Bloc, is widely viewed as the favorite in Tuesday’s election. He reportedly enjoys the backing of 47 lawmakers who have reaffirmed their support ahead of the vote.

Koon’s greatest strength lies in his alignment with the Executive, which has made it clear that it seeks a more cooperative legislature.

Yet, internal concerns persist. Some members of the Majority Bloc are reportedly uneasy about how legislative committees were apportioned and may reconsider their loyalties. Furthermore, several of Koon’s supporters were formerly aligned with Bility’s Rule of Law Caucus, raising questions about their long-term commitment.

A Divided House Braces for Key Vote

With the House still deeply divided and the Executive’s influence looming large, Tuesday’s election is expected to be closely contested. Lawmakers on both sides have been engaged in intense negotiations, with lobbying efforts intensifying behind the scenes.

The outcome will not only determine who leads the House but may also shape the balance of power between the Legislature and the Executive for the foreseeable future.

Monrovia – Former President George Weah, the leader of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change says the removal of the Speaker of the House of Representatives does not in any way benefit the former ruling party.

By Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com

Speaking to FrontPageAfrica via phone Thursday, the former president urged the opposition bloc to settle their lingering differences in the interest of the party and forge unity instead of trying to fight amongst themselves.

The call from the former President comes in the wake of mounting dissent within the former ruling party lawmakers, mostly divided over the leadership of the House of Representatives.

At the height of the controversy, FrontPageAfrica has learned, is the fight for the control of the powerful Ways, Means & Finance Committee.

The committee is currently headed by Rep. Dixon Seeboe, an ally of Speaker Koffa. Multiple sources confirmed to FrontPageAfrica that the speaker and his deputy, Thomas Fallah are at loggerheads. Fallah is reportedly demanding some influence over who heads the committee and is leading a revolt for the removal of Seboe from the committee.

Speaker Koffa, according to sources, has reportedly agreed to let Seboe go to save his position and ease tension within the party’s bloc in the lower house.

The controversy also stems from the Speaker’s interest in auditing the lower house.

Following his election, Speaker Koffa rattled cages amongst his peers when he called on the General Auditing Commission to examine conduct an audit of the lower house for the past years, which would mark the first post-war audit of the House.

In February, Speaker Koffa told FrontPageAfrica that the invitation to the Auditor General was a fulfillment of his promise to run a more transparent and accountable House.

Said the Speaker: “During the speaker elections, we promised the members and the general public that we will run a more transparent and accountable house. The invitation to the GAC and the subsequent agreement to refer this to relevant committees is a fulfillment of that pledge. It’s sad that the house has not been audited for about 30 years. We are resolved to no longer do business as usual.”

Auditor General, P. Garswa Jackson, Sr., has also proposed a System Review Audit of the Legislature within a period of two years as part of efforts to ensure a future Comprehensive audit of that Branch of Government.

Looking to break away from the past, Speaker Koffa lamented: “It is sad that the house has not been audited for about 30 years. We are resolved to no longer do business as usual.”

For former President Weah, the end simply does not justify the means in the ongoing quest to remove the speaker and could handicap the former ruling party politically.

This is not the first time the lower house has sought the removal of its leader.

In January 2007, then Speaker Edwin Melvin Snowe was removed from his position as Speaker by a renegade faction of the lower house, following a bribery case against him. However, a few days later the Supreme Court ordered him to be reinstated, pending Snowe’s appeal.

At the time, a Supreme Court ruling said the speaker’s removal was illegal and unconstitutional.

Speaker Snowe said at the time that he resigned to uphold the rule of law, declaring: “As you are aware, on the 29th of January, the Supreme Court ruled that the members of the House of Representatives meeting in Virginia [Liberia] were meeting there illegally and that it was unconstitutional. And I feel that as head of the first branch of government that should be making laws should not be disrespecting the Supreme Court like the president and other members are doing. So we did what was prudent to us to have stepped down and allow them to do what they want to do.”

Snowe rejected claims that he was forced to resign because a majority of the members of the House of Representatives no longer had confidence in him, including the few that had supported him from the onset.

Similarly, in September 2016, Representative Alex J. Tyler was forced to recuse himself as Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives due to pressure from some of his colleagues and was ousted as Speaker through a resolution signed by 49 members of the House of Representatives.

The 49 lawmakers’ action was in keeping with Article 49 of the Constitution of Liberia which provides the process through which the speaker of that body can be removed.

Article 49 of the Liberian Constitution states: “The House of Representatives shall elect once every six years a Speaker who shall be the presiding officer of that body, a Deputy Speaker and such other officers as shall ensure the proper functioning of the House.

The Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and other officers so elected may be removed from office for cause by resolution of two-thirds majority of the members of the House.”

The current House of Representatives has a total of 73 lawmakers and a two-third of that number is 49.

The decision by the 49 lawmakers to remove Tyler, was a result of a report from the committee on Rules, Orders and Administration which recommended that, in keeping with the House of Representatives rules 48.1, and 48.3 in the committee report it was unanimously recommended that Representative Tyler be removed from his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In the case of Speaker Koffa, some 40 lawmakers are quietly boasting that they have the numbers to removing him as head of the lower house.

As the saga unfolds, the future of the former ruling party looking to regain state power in 2029 appears to be in limbo. The party which previously held control of the three branches of government now finds itself at risk of losing its only hold on one of those three branches of government.

MONROVIA– The incoming ruling Unity Party (UP) has withdrawn its petition of Declaratory Judgement filed against the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa.

By Selma Lomax selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com

The party submitted the declaratory judgment petition at the Civil Law Court Monday, challenging the eligibility of Speaker Koffa to hold his position.

It contends that the Grand Kru lawmaker was ineligible following claims that he holds a U.S. citizenship.

In the petition filed by and through its National Chairman, Rev. Luther Tarpeh, and National Secretary-General Amos Tweh, the party also prayed that the election of Cllr. Koffa as Representative of Electoral District #2 in Grand Kru County be nullified based on his alleged failure to comply with Article 4 Section 1 of the Act To Amend And/Or Nullify Certain Provisions of The Aliens and Nationality Law Relating To Citizenship.

However, FPA has cogently learned that though the petition was filed before the court, but said petition was never served Speaker Koffa.

FrontPageAfrica also gathered that the outgoing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) was planning a similar petition against the newly elected President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, of Grand Bassa County.

The CDC was claiming that Senator Karnga Lawrence holds a U.S. citizenship, thus disqualifying her to serve as Pro-Tempt of the Senate.

There have also been reports around Monrovia that Speaker Koffa was planning on boycotting the swearing into office of President elect, Joe Boakai, had the court served him the petition.

Koffa’s reported planned action would have undermined the entire inaugural ceremony, considering the importance and constitutionality of his presence at said ceremony.

Many Liberians condemned the petition filed by the Unity Party, terming it as a witch-hunt and undemocratic of a government that has not yet assumed state power.

The withdrawal of the petition does not squarely indicate that the battle is over, as anything could still persist after the party had taken state power in the next few days.

Monrovia – FrontPageAfrica has reliably learnt that the Chief Prosecutor of the Presidential Task Force Cllr. Daku Mulbah has left the country for South Africa with the aim of scouting for additional evidence against those indicted by the Task Force.

Report by Kennedy L. Yangian – kennedtlyangian@frontpageafricaonline.com

The Task Force chief prosecutor is reported to have departed the country on Tuesday for South Africa but sources closed to the taskforce told FrontPageAfrica that his presence in that country is intended to scout for additional evidence against those indicted by the Task Force for bribery including House Speaker Alex Tyler and Grand Cape Mount Senator Varney Sherman, Richard Tolbert E.C.B. Jones, Christopher Onanuga and British national, Andrew Grove.

The  six defendants who are expected to go on trial during the August 2016 Term of Court which kicked off on Monday, August 8, 2016 across the country  are  charged with bribery, economic sabotage, criminal conspiracy, facilitation & solicitation.

The Grand Jury of Montserrado County indicted the officials after the British NGO Global Witness May 2016 Report on Liberia accused them of receiving bribes in the tune of US$950,000 to change the Public Procurement Concession Commission’s Act to  grant a concession agreement to a British Company Sable Mining to mine the Wologizi Mine in Lofa County.

This is the second time for prosecutors of the taskforce to leave the country in search of evidence against the indictees as their first visit was in London where the Task Force prosecutors returned with a boast that they were in possession of 99 pieces of evidence against the defendants.

Chief  Prosecutor Cllr. Mulbah who is also the County Attorney of Montserrado County departure from the country comes in the wake of  a second motion filed by lawyers of  indicted House Speaker Tyler for the prosecution to disclose and let him have access to the evidence the prosecution has in its possession against him.

According to the indictment, House Speaker Tyler is accused of receiving up to US$75,000 from the Sable Mining in his capacity as House Speaker to amend the PPCC Act.

But House Speaker Tyler latest motion for disclosure and access to evidence pending before the Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice for hearing indicated that he along with other defendants were indicted for the alleged commission for the crimes of bribery, criminal conspiracy, solicitation and facilitation which case is pending before the court but asked the court to take judicial notice of the case file.

Defendant Tyler lawyers indicated that Section 17.2 of the Criminal Procedure Law captions, pretrial examination of books and records provides that the court on motion may direct that books, papers, documents or other things designated in a subpoena duces tecum be produced before the court at the time prior to the trial or time when they are to be offered in evidence and may upon production thereof to be examined and copies be made by the parties and their attorneys.

“Wherefore and in view of the foregoing defendant Tyler prays your honor to grant movant’s motion and order the prosecution to produce all the evidence in its possession for the prosecution of the case out of which this motion grows, allow defendant to make or produce copies of same and grant unto movant any other and further relief that your honor may deem legal”, said the motion signed by Cllr. Johnny Momoh and others.

However, state lawyers are yet to file a possible resistance to the movant’s motion for disclosure and access to evidence though they have three days under the law to file their resistance to the movant’s motion file on August 4, 2016.