– Koffa Hopeful, but…
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia, Liberia – The Supreme Court of Liberia will today, April 23, 2025, make known its decision on in the legal battle between embattled House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and the self-styled “Majority Bloc” led by Representative Richard N. Koon of the House of Representatives.
The court has since summoned all parties to appear at 12:00 noon for the decision, which will address Speaker Koffa’s Bill of Information challenging the legitimacy of Koon’s “Minority Bloc”. The dispute has plunged the House of Representatives into turmoil, with rival factions—the Majority and Minority blocs—locked in a power struggle over control of the House for several months.
The Legal and Political Stakes:
The case questions whether Koon’s self-declared Majority Bloclawfully holds authority, as Speaker Koffa and his allies dispute its legitimacy. Named respondents include: Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, Members of Koon’s faction and Liberia’s Minister of Justice**, representing the government’s stance.
A full bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh and including Associate Justices Yussif D. Kaba, Jamesetta L. Wolokolie, Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, Sr., and Ceaineh D. Clinton-Johnson, will issue the ruling. The court’s decision could have far-reaching implications, potentially validating or invalidating recent legislative actions taken by Koon’s faction—a scenario that risks further political instability if not resolved decisively.
In a formal notice issued Wednesday, April 16, 2025, Brigadier General Amos B. Kesseh Dickson, Sr., Marshal of the Supreme Court, was commanded to serve the parties with the Notice of Assignment, ensuring their presence for the ruling.
The impasse:
Liberia’s House of Representatives is in the grip of an unprecedented political crisis, with 16 of the 73 lawmakers suspended in recent months, marking one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the Legislature. The suspensions, largely targeting members of the minority bloc, have deepened divisions within the legislative body and leaves thousands of constituents without representation.
The crisis began on October 17, 2024, when a group of lawmakers initiated moves to remove Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa over several allegations. The situation escalated on November 21, 2024, with the controversial election of Richard Nagbe Koon as Speaker. Koffa’s supporters have since rejected the outcome, labeling it as fraudulent and unconstitutional, further fueling tensions within the House.
Since assuming leadership, the “Majority Bloc” has taken a series of aggressive actions, including restructuring the House leadership, authorizing the forceful treatment of lawmakers, and breaking into the vehicle of Representative Yekeh Kolubah under the instructions of Representative Koon. It was also during the period of theimpasse that the joint chambers and other parts of the Capitol Building was set ablaze. The Liberia National Police (LNP) later confirmed that it was an arson attack.
The Supreme Court’s decision today comes after its previous ruling in early December 2024 when the High Court ruled that the Majority Bloc’s actions during the leadership standoff were “ultra vires” (beyond their legal authority) if they deviated from the intent of Articles 33 and 49 of the Constitution. Despite this ruling, both the Executive Branch and the Liberian Senate endorsed the Majority Bloc’s actions on December 10, 2024, further entrenching the divide.
Questioning Koon’s election:
When the Court heard from both sides last month, the Supreme Court frowned on actions by the Majority Bloc of the House of Representatives, and what it considered their defiance of judicial orders and constitutional procedures in the ongoing battle to unseat Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. “Where he, Speaker Koffa, is still sitting, and you open a parallel session, it can create chaos,” declared Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh during a hearing on Wednesday on a Bill of Information filed by Koffa’s legal team.
When the majority bloc lawyers argued that more than 50 lawmakers voted to oust Koffa, the Chief Justice noted: “You can increase to hundred. We are saying, we have said and we say it again… you can be thousand but we say at the time of that petition.” The Chief Justice emphasized: “What made you go and designate another speaker when there was already a designated speaker when this court spoke?”
Since the birth of the impasse, efforts by the Economic Community of West Africa. States (ECOWAS), the Inter-Religious Council, and other groups to find proper redress have yielded no fruits. Legal analysts suggest the court’s verdict today may hinge on constitutional interpretation, particularly regarding legislative procedures for electing leadership.
