MONROVIA – Few hours following the resignation of the embattled House Speaker, Counselor Jonathan Fonati Koffa, the controversial House Speaker, Mr. Richard Nagbe Koon, too, tendered in his resignation from said post.
Since November 2024, Koon, a lawmaker representing Montserrado County’s district #11 in the legislature, has been enjoying all the perks as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He and majority of lawmakers in the House, including that of the Deputy Speaker of the House — Lofa County Representative Thomas Fallah — plotted and illegally removed Cllr. Koffa through an election that Koon is said to have won.
Weeks after that process, Koffa ran to court seeking to overturn Koon’s speakership. The Supreme Court ruled twice in this debacle that had dragged on for months. In its first ruling on December 6th, 2024, the nation’s highest court, among other things termed all activities of the Koon-led Administration “ultra vires”. However, the ruling further brought in more confusion as every side of the hullabaloo claimed victory.
Koon’s side of the divide was given boost when the Justice Minister and Attorney General, Counselor N. Oswald Tweh, interpreted the court’s ruling to mean that the Executive Branch of Government could work with the Koon-led bloc, which was now styled: “Majority Bloc”.
So, lawyers representing Koffa ran back to the court and filed a Bill of Information in which they accused the Minister of Justice of unlawfully interpreting the Court’s December 6, 2024 ruling.
Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson and Cllr. Justice Kabineh J’aneh, representing Speaker Koffa, asserted that the Justice Minister’s December 10, 2024 public legal opinion—addressed to the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs—wrongly concluded that the actions of the Majority Bloc were lawful.
In the four-count Bill of Information, the lawyers claim that the Minister’s opinion undermines the Supreme Court’s authority and emboldens unconstitutional behavior. “The action of the Minister of Justice has further exacerbated the situation,” Koffa stated in the filing.
The Bill of Information alleges that Representatives Koon, Fallah, and members of the so-called Majority Bloc defied the Supreme Court’s ruling by continuing to convene unauthorized legislative sessions, including budget hearings. These actions, according to Koffa’s legal team, directly contravene Articles 33 and 49 of the Constitution, which require the Speaker—or, in their absence, the Deputy Speaker—to preside over all legislative sittings.
The Court heard the Bill of Information arguments from both sides on March 26, 2025. It set April 23, 2025 to give its ruling. It was hoped that the Court’s much-anticipated ruling would have settled the months of wrangling and pulling about the House’s leadership crisis. Well, did it?
This time, on April 23rd, the Court ruled in plain, simple language and everyone understood its opinion. It further affirmed that the Koon-led Administration was illegal and that Koffa was still the legitimate Speaker of the House of Representatives.
But it didn’t solve the problem as Koffa lost more momentum when the President, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, while stating that the court’s ruling would be respected, he said sternly that he would continue to do business with the faction of the House that has majority so that the function of government wouldn’t shutdown. With this announcement some of the lawmakers in Koffa’s camp started backing off from him and joining Koon’s camp, which had all the perks from the Executive.
And, so on May 12, 2025 by 12:00, the embattled Speaker, Cllr. Koffa tendered in his resignation and demanded that there be fresh elections for the House’s leadership. That demand was granted. Even though Koffa had the title, Koon and his bloc had all the benefits. Following his resignation, Koon, too, resigned so that there can be fresh elections today, May 13, 2025 so that the House’s leadership will reflect the will and aspiration of all 73 representatives in the House of Representatives.
The House, through its Press and Public Affairs Bureau, announced that there will be fresh elections today.
“The Honorable House of Representatives acknowledges receipt of the resignation letter from former Speaker, Hon. J. Fonati Koffa, on Monday, May 12, 2025.
In keeping with its constitutional mandate and in the best interest of the Republic of Liberia and its people, the House will convene on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 10:00AM for its first day sitting of the 2nd Quarter of the 2nd session to conduct a fresh election for the position of Speaker.
All interested members are encouraged to formally declare their intention to participate in what will be an open, fair, and transparent electoral process.
The House remains committed to upholding democratic values and working diligently in service to the Liberian people.”
Following Koon’s resignation, news surfaced he resigned so that he could contest for the post along with Nimba County Representative Musa Hassan Bility. Bility is being heavily backed and favored by the former Speaker, Koffa.
