Published: February 14, 2025
MONROVIA – Bong County Representative Foday Fahnbulleh has dismissed Supreme Court Associate Justice Yormie Gbeisay’s explanation for the Bench’s absence from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s State of the Nation Address, branding it as a “liquor statement.”
“Distinguished colleagues, we will not give any relevance to any liquor statement from the Associate Justice. If someone goes into a cane juice shop and makes a liquor statement, we will not give any relevance to it,” Fahnbulleh said, leaving plenary in an uproar.
His comments were in response to Justice Gbeisay’s justification earlier this week during the court’s opening session in Nimba. Associate Justice Gbeisay claimed that the Supreme Court’s refusal to attend the President’s address stemmed from its stance on the ongoing leadership dispute in the House of Representatives. He argued that being present at the event would have lent legitimacy to Representative Richard Koon’s speakership—a position the Supreme Court had already deemed “ultra vires.”
Justice Gbeisay explained that neither the so-called majority nor the minority bloc of the House had met the legal threshold to conduct official legislative business. As a result, the Supreme Court, including Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, deliberately stayed away from the State of the Nation Address, avoiding what he called an “unlawful” proceeding under an illegitimate Speaker.
“We did not attend because we wanted to avoid the conflict. Now, the ‘majority bloc’ claims to have a quorum, but we still don’t see a Speaker there. So whatever they do is ultra vires. It is all illegal,” Gbeisay stated while addressing an audience that included newly inducted members of the National Bar Association.
The House of Representatives has been engulfed in internal turmoil over its leadership since October last year. Grand Kru County District #2 Representative Fonati J. Koffa was elected Speaker in Janaury 2024 after beating his main contender, Richard Koon of the ruling Unity Party. Koffa, a member of the opposition CDC, last October faced stiff opposition, even from within his own political faction. The Supreme Court, which was expected to resolve the impasse on the manner in which he was being removed from office, issued a ruling that failed to explicitly declare a legitimate leader, instead ruling that the ongoing legislative activities were outside legal boundaries. That vague ruling only deepened the crisis, allowing competing interpretations.
Clarifying the Bench’s decision, Justice Gbeisay argued that the law mandates the House to have a quorum presided over by a recognized Speaker before conducting business. He noted that while the minority bloc could adjourn daily and attempt to compel the majority to join them, no legal provision outlines how to enforce such compulsion.
“You don’t have a rule telling us how you will compel the people. So you, too, must remain there until you get the majority. Whatever you do is ultra vires. Both sides—go and solve your problem,” Gbeisay added.
The Associate Justice further said that the Supreme Court does not wish to be dragged into political disputes. “We are not in control of politics. The Senate may recognize the majority bloc, the President may recognize the majority bloc, and government functions may be ongoing,” he stated. “But while that is happening, the judiciary remains neutral.”
The crisis within the House remains unresolved, with Speaker Koffa doubling down on his position. Upon his return to Liberia over the weekend via Roberts International Airport, Koffa reaffirmed that he would never acknowledge Koon’s leadership.
“For me to sit under the leadership of Speaker Koon is to legitimize his speakership, and that is something I cannot do at this moment,” Koffa declared. He vowed to seek further legal clarity and referenced a bill of information he had previously filed before the Supreme Court, further prolonging the stalemate in the lower chamber of the Legislature.
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