-Retracts Statement Against Koon But Lawmakers Demand Legislative Punishment
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia – Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Representative Thomas P. Fallah, publicly retracted previous remarks and issued an apology on Tuesday, June 30, 2026—minutes after House leadership decided to review concerns raised regarding statements he made during a recent radio talk show appearance.
The development followed a formal communication submitted to plenary by Grand Gedeh County Electoral District #3 Representative, Hon. Jacob Debee, under the subject: “Request for Retraction and Investigation of Public Statement by Deputy Speaker Hon. Thomas P. Fallah.”
In his communication, Representative Debee expressed concerns about comments made by Deputy Speaker Fallah during his Sunday appearance on the Spoon Talk Show, where he discussed House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon and aspects of his leadership. Representative Debee argued that the public nature of the remarks had the potential to undermine the image, credibility, and unity of the House of Representatives and its leadership.
Less than an hour before plenary deliberated on referring the matter for formal review, Deputy Speaker Fallah took to his social media platform and issued a public statement addressing the concerns raised.
His words: “I have been informed, through today’s agenda of the Honorable House of Representatives in Session, of a communication from Hon. Jacob Debee, Representative of District #3, Grand Gedeh County, requesting a retraction and investigation of a public statement attributed to me during my appearance on SpoonTalk on Sunday, June 28, 2026.”
He added, “I wish to state clearly that my comments on SpoonTalk regarding my friend, Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, were made in good faith and without any intent to mislead, malign, or undermine. I hereby retract them and offer my sincere apology.”BFallah also emphasized the longstanding personal relationship between himself and Speaker Koon:
“Speaker Koon and I share a longstanding personal relationship that predates our current roles in the Honorable House. I value that relationship deeply and have no intention of doing anything to jeopardize the mutual respect and camaraderie between us.”
Meanwhile, during plenary discussion, Montserrado County District #7 Representative, Emmanuel Dahn, proffered a motion that the House’s leadership take seizure of the matter. The motion was endorsed by several lawmakers and considered the House’s decision. However, some lawmakers protested against the decision and called for an investigation as demonstrated in other cases.
The matter arose amid heightened sensitivity among lawmakers regarding public comments involving House leadership and their potential effect on institutional image and cohesion. This sensitivity stems from a recent precedent: On April 17, 2026, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly (49 out of 73 members) to formally expel Representative Yekeh Kolubah of Montserrado County District #10.
The expulsion followed a formal report by the Committee on Rules, Order, and Administration, triggered by controversial comments Kolubah made regarding a Guinea border crisis. Following Representative Debee’s communication, many observers speculated that Deputy Speaker Fallah could face similar consequences.
For months, there have been persistent reports about plans to remove Fallah from his post. However, the House of Representatives has repeatedly dismissed these rumors and officially reaffirmed its explicit confidence in his leadership as Deputy Speaker.
Fallah’s Role in Koffa’s Removal
Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah—often referred to by legislative colleagues as the “Doyen of the Legislature” and one of Liberia’s longest-serving contemporary lawmakers—played a highly controversial role in the political crisis that led to the resignation of former House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa in May 2025.
Initially caught between party loyalty and legislative rebellion, Fallah’s eventual defection became the tipping point that paralyzed Koffa’s leadership.
When the “Anti-Koffa Majority Bloc” first emerged in late 2024, Fallah was initially accused by Koffa loyalists of being one of the secret architects—and allegedly funding the mutiny.
On October 17, 2024, pro-Koffa lawmakers physically blocked Fallah from entering the legislative chambers, suspecting he was there to gavel through an illegal impeachment. Fallah initially denied the claims, publicly declaring his neutrality and stating he was consulting with lawyers to avoid constitutional violations.
However, on October 31, 2024, Fallah officially broke away and aligned himself with the Majority Bloc. He justified his alignment by claiming it was his constitutional duty to restore legislative functions, as the House had become completely deadlocked.
Arguably, Fallah gave the dissenting lawmakers the necessary constitutional legitimacy they lacked by joining the anti-Koffa faction.
He began presiding over the breakaway group’s parallel sessions in the joint chambers while Speaker Koffa was still present in the main chamber. He also instituted legislative protocol against Koffa by setting up a seven-member special investigative committee to review corruption and conflict-of-interest allegations leveled against the former Speaker.
Constitutional Crisis and Aftermath
Fallah’s actions triggered a severe constitutional crisis. Speaker Koffa petitioned the Supreme Court of Liberia, which ultimately ruled in December 2024 that the Deputy Speaker could not legally preside if the Speaker was present and available. Despite the High Court deeming the parallel sessions unconstitutional, Fallah’s refusal to return to Koffa’s plenary effectively denied Koffa a working quorum.
Because Koffa was also a high-ranking member of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), the party viewed Fallah’s alignment with the rebels as a supreme betrayal. The CDC officially expelled Fallah from the party in December 2024. Starved of legislative legitimacy and a quorum, former Speaker Koffa was eventually forced to resign in May 2025—paving the way for the election of the current Speaker, Richard Nagbe Koon.
Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah’s legislative path began in 2005 when he was elected to represent Montserrado County District #5. He won re-election for the same district in 2011 and 2017. In the 2023 legislative elections, he shifted constituencies and successfully won the seat for Lofa County District #1 on the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) ticket.
Following his exit from the CDC—which he publicly described as a “blessing in disguise”—Fallah clarified that he remains a non-partisan legislator.
He founded and serves as the vision bearer for the National Independent Movement for Boakai (NIMBO), a political movement that heavily backs the “ARREST Agenda” of President Joseph Boakai. President Boakai has publicly lauded Fallah as a dependable, action-oriented leader.
