By Jerromie S. Walters
Capitol Hill, Monrovia – Montserrado County District #11 Representative Richard Nagbe Koon has installed steel doors at the entrance of the House’s main chamber—a space explicitly recognized by the Court as under Speaker J. Fonati Koffa’s authority.
This decision marks Koon’s latest effort to obstruct Speaker Koffa, following a series of confrontational moves. Prior to the Court’s ruling, Koon had ordered locks to the chambers changed, forcibly seized the Speaker’s office, removed Koffa’s belongings and replaced them with his own. He also directed police to break into Rep. Yekeh Kolubah’s vehicle after Kolubah parked in the Speaker’s designated spot.
Court Ruling Nullifies Koon’s Claim
The Supreme Court last week Wednesday l invalidated Koon’s claim to the speakership, declaring all actions by his faction—led alongside Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah—unconstitutional. Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh emphasized that any session held without Speaker Koffa presiding, while he was present and able, held no legal weight.
The dispute traces back to October 2024, when the Majority Bloc, backed by the Executive Branch, relocated to the Joint Chambers, declared Koffa’s seat vacant, and installed Koon as their leader—a move the Court later overturned. Koon had previously lost to Koffa in the January 2024 leadership election.
Defiance and Threats of Constitutional Crisis
Despite the ruling, Koon refuses to concede, dismissing the Court’s decision as a violation of the separation of powers. He insists his actions were lawful under Article 49 of Liberia’s Constitution and House Rule 9(a), vowing to proceed without recognizing judicial authority.
“No opinion or judgment of the Supreme Court can erase this Resolution from the annals of the House,” Koon declared. “Plenary shall continue its business without deference to the Court.”
His faction has even floated impeaching Supreme Court justices, accusing them of overreach. Meanwhile, the Bloc’s earlier power grab included stripping Koffa of security, seizing legislative bank accounts, suspending pro-Koffa lawmakers, and commandeering the national budget process.
A Lingering Standoff
The Court’s ruling was expected to resolve the months-long impasse, which has gridlocked governance and undermined public trust. Yet with Koon’s obstinacy, fears of a constitutional crisis loom, casting uncertainty over Liberia’s democratic stability.
