Published: November 5, 2024
Monrovia – Margibi County Senator and Chair of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) legislative caucus, Nathaniel F. McGill, was asked out of Tuesday’s session for violation of the body’s dress code. Presiding over the November 5, 2024 session, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon cited McGill’s attire as inconsistent with Senate protocol.
Senator McGill entered the Senate chamber dressed in blue jeans, a blue collar shirt and a brown jacket, a choice that reportedly caught the attention of Nimba County Senator Nyan Twayen. Twayen promptly alerted the plenary, drawing the focus of Senator Dillon, who was chairing in the absence of Senate President Jeremiah Koung and President Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence. Dillon, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, engaged McGill in a brief conversation before informing him that he would need to leave the chamber to adhere to the Senate’s dress code.
“Senator McGill, in keeping with our rules, you did not dress properly,” Dillon announced to the chamber. “You should be out for this kind of dress code to do it properly.” Despite the reprimand, Dillon did not specify the exact rule McGill had allegedly violated. When later questioned by The Liberian Investigator, Dillon admitted he could not recall the specific rule but insisted that the dress code standard was established within Senate regulations.
Earlier in the session, McGill had challenged the Senate’s failure to meet quorum, noting that only 12 senators were seated. Citing Rule 7, Section 1, McGill reminded his colleagues that a quorum requires a simple majority of seated senators for official business, though a smaller number may adjourn sessions or compel the attendance of absent members. Dillon acknowledged the point and requested a brief recess, during which the Sergeant-at-Arms was instructed to locate and summon additional senators. Shortly after, three more senators arrived, allowing the session to proceed.
The incident, however, escalated with the discussion of McGill’s dress code, sparking laughter among Senate members as McGill initially hesitated but then exited the chamber. A review of the Senate’s standing rules, established in 2009 and amended during a legislative retreat in Grand Bassa County, revealed no explicit provision on dress code. Furthermore, the amended rules have yet to be printed or published on the Senate’s newly launched website, reportedly due to funding delays, as confirmed by Senate Secretary Nanborlor Singbeh.
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