MONROVIA – It seems the battle for the leadership of the House of Representatives (HOR) is just entering another face as a bloc of the House’s members under the banner, “Rule of Law Caucus” is demanding that there be fresh elections for the leadership of that august body.
This new line, which has been drawn, comes amidst news from the ‘chairman’ of the Rule of Law Caucus, Nimba County Representative Musa Hassan Bility, disclosing with “deep regret” that the embattled House Speaker, Counselor Jonathan Fonati Koffa, is set to resign today, May 12, 2025, at 12:00 noon, from the post he has only been holding onto by a thread since the latter part of October 2024.
“Restoring Constitutional Order: As mandated by Article 49, the Legislature must now undergo reconstitution through fresh elections to reestablish legitimacy and function within constitutional bounds,” Chairman Bility wrote.
The leadership crisis in the HOR has dragged on for over seven months with both divided blocs — Rule of Law Caucus/Minority and Majority bloc — standing their grounds on who has the power to do business with the Executive branch of government.
The Majority bloc, which is being led at the moment by controversial Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, has long been recognized by the Executive Branch, headed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, who has stopped doing all legislative businesses with Cllr. Koffa’s leadership. Even though the Supreme Court has since declared Koon’s leadership and everything that his bloc has done “unconstitutional” in a ruling issued April 23, 2025, his administration continues to enjoy all the perks from the Executive.
Announcing Koffa’s decision to step aside, Rep. Bility said he and other colleagues in the caucus “deeply regret this development,” but “we stand by his decision acknowledging the grave constitutional concerns that necessitate this action. Three key factors have shaped this endorsement:
- “A Constitutional Crisis: The Executive’s continued defiance of the Rule of Law—despite a Supreme Court ruling and its reaffirmation—underscores an alarming governance dilemma beyond the Speaker’s office.
- “Dwindling Legislative Support: A substantial loss of members willing to operate under Speaker Koffa’s leadership threatens the effectiveness of the House in navigating the upcoming legislative battles.
- “Restoring Constitutional Order: As mandated by Article 49, the Legislature must now undergo reconstitution through fresh elections to reestablish legitimacy and function within constitutional bounds.
“As a caucus, it has been both an honor and a duty to serve alongside Speaker Koffa, a leader whose tenure has been marked by resilience and commitment. Though he steps down from the Speakership, we welcome him back to the floor as a member of our caucus, where his voice and influence remain invaluable.”
In further tribute to Koffa’s stance throughout the last seven months, Bility said: “In all that I am, and in all that I have done, I have never encountered a man whose calmness, intentionality, and work ethic match that of Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. His leadership of the 55th Legislature will be remembered not just for its quiet strength, but for the courage it summoned in the face of tyranny.”
“In all that I am, and in all that I have done, I have never encountered a man whose calmness, intentionality, and work ethic match that of Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. His leadership of the 55th Legislature will be remembered not just for its quiet strength, but for the courage it summoned in the face of tyranny.”
According to him, under the embattled Speaker’s stewardship, the House of Representatives did not merely function—it resisted. He added: “It stood its ground against the Executive’s clear attempts to destabilize our democracy and compromise the independence of the Legislature. Speaker Koffa and a coalition of patriotic lawmakers, unwavering in belief and fortified by conscience, charted a course history will never forget.
“Mr. Speaker, you have altered the trajectory of governance in Liberia. You have redrawn the lines between the Executive and the Legislature and anchored them in the constitution. You have written your name in the pages of Liberian history—not just as a Speaker, but as a patriot whose gallantry upheld the law when silence would have been easier.”
