Published: May 11, 2025
MONROVIA — Speaker J. Fonati Koffa will resign from his post at noon Monday, May 12, stepping aside nearly seven months after the legislative crisis began.
Koffa’s decision was disclosed Sunday to the Rule of Law Caucus, a group of lawmakers who have opposed the actions of a breakaway bloc led by Rep. Richard Koon, which had seized control of the House late last year. That group’s activities were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in a ruling issued April 23, which reaffirmed Koffa as the legitimate Speaker of the 55th Legislature.
In a statement issued by the caucus and signed by its chairman, Rep. Musa Hassan Bility, lawmakers said they were backing Koffa’s decision to resign “with deep sadness,” citing ongoing threats to constitutional order and legislative stability.
“We are confronted by a much more alarming constitutional dilemma than the Office of the Speaker,” the statement read. “The continuous defiance of the rule of law by the Executive, despite one Supreme Court ruling and its reaffirmation, cannot be ignored.”
The caucus also noted that Koffa’s hold on the Speaker’s gavel had become politically unsustainable, given the significant number of lawmakers unwilling to recognize his authority on the House floor.
“The loss of a significant number of members willing to sit under the Speaker’s gavel makes his effectiveness less tenable for the incoming floor fight,” the caucus said.
Despite the Supreme Court’s reaffirmation of his leadership and its clear rejection of the Koon-led bloc’s legitimacy, Koffa’s decision to step down is seen by some lawmakers as a sacrifice to restore order and allow for a broader reconciliation process within the Legislature.
The Court’s April 23 ruling invalidated all decisions made by the rival faction and directed the full restoration of Koffa’s leadership, arguing that the seizure of the House by the Koon group violated Articles 33 and 49 of the Liberian Constitution, which govern legislative quorum and the election of House leadership.
However, implementation of the Court’s decision has faced resistance, with the Executive Branch—led by President Joseph Boakai—accused by some lawmakers of turning a blind eye to the constitutional violations and allowing the crisis to fester.
The Rule of Law Caucus is now calling for fresh leadership elections in accordance with Article 49, which mandates that the House of Representatives elect its Speaker. The move, they say, is the only way to restore institutional credibility and ensure adherence to constitutional norms.
“It is our pleasing duty to have served alongside Speaker Koffa and under his gavel,” the statement concluded. “We welcome him on the floor as a member of our caucus.”
Koffa, who represents Grand Kru County, was first elected Speaker in January 2024. His speakership came under attack in October 2024 when the Koon-led bloc challenged his leadership and took control of House proceedings—prompting months of paralysis and legal wrangling.
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