-Critics Say, As Yekeh’s Expulsion Sparks Mixed Reactions
By Jerromie S. Walters
CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA – The House of Representatives’ decision to expel Montserrado County District Number 10 lawmaker Yekeh Y. Kolubah has triggered a unfavorable reactions from across Liberia’s political spectrum, with senators, representatives, political parties, and civil society figures condemning the action as unconstitutional while the ruling Unity Party has offered a measured defense of the move.
The House voted on Friday, April 17, 2026, to expel Kolubah after forty-nine members signed a resolution backing the action. The decision followed an investigative report from the House Committee on Rules, Order, and Administration that detailed allegations of gross misconduct and violations of the lawmaker’s oath of office, primarily centered on comments Kolubah allegedly made regarding the border dispute between Liberia and the Republic of Guinea.
Nimba County District Number 2 Representative Nyahn Garsaye Flomo moved the motion that the Committee report be considered, including the recommendation for Kolubah’s expulsion. The motion specifically excluded recommendation number six from the Committee report, which had suggested that the lawmaker be turned over to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution.
The forty-nine representatives who signed the resolution to expel Kolubah came from counties across Liberia, including Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Gee, and Rivercess.
Senator Amara Konneh: ‘What Happened Is Not Politics, It Is Madness’
Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh strongly condemned the House of Representatives’ decision to expel Kolubah, describing the action as a dangerous departure from due process and a threat to Liberia’s democracy. The Senator made his remarks via his official Facebook page on Friday, April 17, 2026, just hours after the House voted to remove Kolubah.
He reflected on his two decades of experience in Liberia’s political landscape, noting that decisions in the country are not always driven by reason but are often influenced by emotions, particularly fear, and the persuasive tactics of those who understand how to sway a traumatized population. The Senator recounted a conversation with an elderly woman in Duala during the 2023 runoff elections, who told him that she votes because it is the only time anyone pretends to listen to her.
He said that sentence has stayed with him because it captures something profound about Liberia’s democracy, where voting sometimes feels like action and control but for many Liberians also serves as a release valve to channel frustration into something predictable and controlled. Senator Konneh argued that in a nation still healing from war, the rituals of democracy sometimes serve less as tools of empowerment and more as mechanisms of pacification, not to silence dissent outright but to manage it.
Konneh emphasized that due process under Liberian law is not optional but inherent, and he cited Article 38 of the 1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, which governs the expulsion of a lawmaker and demands strict adherence to notice, investigation, the right to defense, and transparent proceedings.
The Senator expressed concern that in the case of Representative Kolubah, the country is witnessing a troubling departure from these constitutional requirements.
He noted that Kolubah’s lawyers have reportedly been denied the opportunity to defend him and that legal analysts continue to raise serious concerns that the House Committee ignored fundamental principles of due process. Senator Konneh also addressed what he described as even more alarming talk of treason being directed at Kolubah, and he cautioned that treason is not a political slogan but one of the most serious offenses under Liberian law.
Moreover, he explained that treason is narrowly defined and tied to acts against the state during war or in collaboration with an enemy, and he posed two direct questions to his fellow lawmakers and the public. The Senator asked whether Liberia is at war and whether the Republic of Guinea is Liberia’s enemy in that war, and he further questioned whether the Legislature is clothed with the authority to investigate or prosecute treason.
The Senator provided a straightforward answer, stating that the power to investigate and prosecute treason lies within the Executive branch through law enforcement and prosecutorial institutions, not the Legislature. Senator Konneh reminded his colleagues that the Legislature is not a criminal court and not a prosecutorial body, and its role is lawmaking and oversight, not criminal adjudication.
He warned that what the country is witnessing is a dangerous blurring of constitutional boundaries.
Senator Konneh drew a parallel to the controversial impeachment of Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh in 2019 under the administration of former President George Manneh Weah, which he said was widely criticized as a misuse of legislative power at the time. He noted that even the ECOWAS Court’s ruling in Ja’neh’s favor was ignored, and he expressed concern that the same patterns appear to be reemerging with different actors following the same script.
Senator Konneh made clear that while he believes Representative Kolubah’s comments on the border issue between Liberia and Guinea were reckless and uninformed, criticism is not a crime and dissent is not treason. He argued that silencing a critic, even a loud and controversial one like Kolubah, does not strengthen democracy but rather weakens it and strips the people of District Number Ten of the voice they chose in the 2023 elections.
The Senator shared a conversation he had with a young woman from Old Road at the Capitol building on Friday afternoon, who told him that she was down because her vote was gone after the expulsion of Kolubah. When the Senator asked whether the young woman agreed with Kolubah’s utterances, she responded that she does not always agree with him but at least he says what ordinary Liberians are afraid to say.
Senator Konneh said that sentiment reflects a deeper democratic truth that democracy is not only about the voices citizens like but also about protecting the voices they do not like. He pointed out that critical national issues continue to demand attention, including rising prices of rice, fuel, and basic goods driven in part by global instability, which are suffocating ordinary Liberians.
The Senator lamented that instead of addressing these realities, the country is consumed by political theatrics. He noted that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is calling for legislative approval to print new banknotes and pass a forty-five million dollar supplemental budget, matters that require transparency, deliberation, and public trust.
Senator Konneh warned that procedural shortcuts raise suspicion of ulterior motives and that Liberia has endured too much to accept governance by convenience. He posed a series of fundamental questions to his fellow citizens, asking whether due process can be ignored, whether dissent can be criminalized, and whether constitutional roles can be blurred for political ends.
The Senator asked whether Liberia is truly a democracy or simply a well-managed performance that increasingly silences the people for and by whom the government still pretends to exist. He further questioned what ensures that the same pattern does not repeat itself with different victims when power changes hands.
Senator Konneh described the expulsion of Kolubah as yet more theatrics in the chambers of the House of Representatives that risk grinding the whole system of government to a halt. Konneh warned that if this rift keeps elected politicians focused on each other rather than on the core issues of governance that improve the conditions of those who elected them, the question becomes who benefits and who suffers from what goes unnoticed.
The Senator reminded his audience of the significance of Kolubah’s voice during the Weah administration, when Kolubah stood up against alleged corruption, bad governance, and human rights abuses on behalf of the opposition. He noted that the now-ruling party led the opposition at that time and had no problems hailing Kolubah as a dissenting voice, and he asked why that same party now has a problem with receiving the same criticism. Senator Konneh concluded his statement by declaring that what happened in the House of Representatives is not politics but madness, and he called for the immediate reinstatement of Honorable Yekeh Kolubah.
Senator Abraham Darius Dillon: Due Process Is Not Optional
Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon took to social media to offer a legal perspective on the expulsion, emphasizing that any rules adopted by the Legislature must conform to the requirements of due process laid down in the Constitution. Dillon pointed to the last sentence of Article 38 of the Constitution, which he said emphatically states this mandate. He stressed that this is not a choice or a discretion but a binding requirement.
The Senator further cited Article 2 of the Constitution, which places the Supreme Court as the only constitutional and legal body vested with the authority and power to define and determine what the law is, what the law says, and what the law means. Dillon explained that this essentially means no other entity or branch of government is left to itself to determine and define its own kind of due process, especially where constitutional and fundamental rights may be affected.
He noted that the Supreme Court has long since and repeatedly settled on the meaning, definition, and interpretation of due process as required by the Constitution. Dillon argued that it is simply responsible to follow what the law is and what the law says when exercising power and authority granted by and under the very law.
On the delivery of the court writ which the House said it did not receive, Dillon offered what he called a bit of education on legal practice. He explained that under legal practice, the best evidence or proof that a writ from a court has been formally served on a party litigant is known as the Sheriff’s Returns. The Sheriff’s Returns says how the writ was served, upon whom the writ was served, as well as the date and time the writ was served.
Dillon noted that the Sheriff’s Returns is the official and only evidence document the court uses to determine whether or not a writ was accordingly served. He stated that the Sheriff’s Returns is presumed and held to be true and correct by the court until challenged and proven otherwise, adding that nothing else serves this function.
Representative Taa Zogbe Kartoe Wongbe: Legislature Has Become ‘Useless’
Nimba County District Number 9 Representative Taa Zogbe Kartoe Wongbe acknowledged that he disagrees with Kolubah’s statement regarding the border dispute between Liberia and Guinea, which he described as reckless and irresponsible. Wongbe said he told Kolubah directly about his disagreement with the comments. However, he emphasized that his disapproval of the statement does not mean he believes the process and the outcome of the expulsion were right, lawful, or in the spirit of good governance.
The lawmaker explained that he has been relatively quiet on national issues for a reason, and after almost two and a half years at the House of Representatives, he has reached one clear conclusion about governance in Liberia today. He stated that the President gets whatever the President wants, and he provided several examples to support his assertion.
According to Wongbe, if the President wants a lawmaker removed, that lawmaker is removed, and if the President wants a Speaker removed, the Speaker is removed.
He continued that if the President wants better leadership, that is what Liberia gets, and if the President wants someone imprisoned, it happens.
Wongbe further stated that if the President wants institutions or companies reprimanded, it is done, and if the President wants development across Liberia, it will happen. He concluded that whatever the President wants, the President gets, and he urged Liberians to stop pretending otherwise.
The Nimba County lawmaker then posed a fundamental question about the role of the Legislature, asking what its purpose is if it has been reduced to a rubber stamp that exists only to legitimize and approve the will of the President. He suggested that it might be time to revisit the Legislature and even consider dismantling it entirely. Wongbe declared that the Legislature has become useless, and he described this as the hard truth that many Liberians are afraid to confront.
He called on Liberians to open their eyes to what he described as the reality of governance in the country.
Despite his harsh criticism of the Legislature, Representative Wongbe made clear that his focus remains on serving the people of District Number Nine with everything he has. He stated that serving his constituents is his duty and his priority, and he said that at the end of his term, together with his people, they will decide what comes next.
Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe: ‘When Authority Forsakes the Wisdom of Law’
Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, a prominent Liberian lawyer and political figure, offered a succinct but powerful reaction to the expulsion. In a statement, Gongloe said, “When authority forsakes the wisdom of law to punish by power, it does not silence disorder—it multiplies it.”
His comment appeared to warn that the House’s decision to bypass proper legal procedures in expelling Kolubah would only lead to greater instability rather than achieving the intended goal of maintaining order.
Movement for Progressive Change: Expulsion Is ‘Illegal and Unconstitutional’
The Movement for Progressive Change (MPC) also condemned what it termed as the so-called expulsion of District Number 10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah, describing the action by the Legislature as a dangerous abuse of power and a direct assault on Liberia’s democratic principles. In a statement released over the weekend, the MPC declared that the decision by members of the House of Representatives to expel Kolubah over what they termed treasonable statements is not only illegal but a reckless attempt to silence dissent and intimidate outspoken voices within the government.
“The Legislature has no constitutional authority to arbitrarily expel a duly elected representative for expressing his views on national issues,” the statement emphasized. “What we are witnessing is a troubling descent into political intolerance, where differing opinions are criminalized rather than debated.”
The MPC categorically rejected the characterization of Kolubah’s comments as treasonable, arguing that such a claim is both exaggerated and politically motivated.
According to the group, if any lawmaker believes that a statement rises to the level of treason, the proper course of action is to seek legal interpretation through the courts—not to resort to what it described as mob justice within the chambers of power. The MPC stressed that the expulsion represents a gross violation of the Constitution and undermines the democratic mandate given to Kolubah by the people of District Number Ten.
“This action is unconstitutional, undemocratic, and unacceptable,” the statement asserted. “You cannot claim to uphold the rule of law while trampling upon the very rights and protections enshrined in the Constitution.” The MPC further issued a stern warning to the Unity Party-led government, cautioning it against what it described as a growing pattern of constitutional violations under the guise of governance.
“We call on the government to immediately reverse course and respect the rule of law. The same Constitution you claim to defend under your so-called reform agenda cannot be selectively applied,” the statement noted. “Liberia’s democracy must not be reduced to a tool for political vendetta and suppression.” The MPC concluded by reaffirming its commitment to defending democratic freedoms and called on civil society, the judiciary, and the international community to take keen interest in what it described as a dangerous precedent that threatens the foundation of Liberia’s democracy.
Unity Party Chairman Lurther Tarpeh: Kolubah’s Comments on Border Issue ‘Broke the Camel’s Back’
However, the ruling Unity Party Chairman, Lurther Tarpeh, offered a sharply different perspective on the expulsion over the weekend. Tarpeh said when Kolubah chose to extend this brash political talk to the Guinean unauthorized encroachment on Liberian land in Lofa and spoke with audacity that the land belongs to Guinea, this was not just the usual Yekeh political talk.
Tarpeh argued that it was an intentional statement aimed at emboldening Guinean authorities to remain intransigent in their effort to provoke Liberia’s national sovereignty. He said Kolubah’s statement became a reference point and seemingly emboldened the Guineans’ claim to Liberian land. Tarpeh declared that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It became glaring, he said, that Kolubah was not just a political brash talker but a dangerous species to Liberia’s national existence.
Tarpeh argued that since Kolubah’s politics thrive in chaos, having him as a member of the national assembly in such a national moment of provocation from neighboring Guinea was not only risky but a serious threat to national sovereignty. He asked whether a national leader like Kolubah who quickly jumped on the side of an encroaching neighboring country without substantial evidence should expect his colleagues to pretend as though his utterances in such a time are harmless to national existence.
Tarpeh said of course not, adding that all around the world, there will always be political disagreement, but when it comes to the invasion of a given country, everyone unites against the common enemy irrespective of political parties. He asserted that Kolubah chose to trade sovereign pride for his usual political rhetoric. Tarpeh said this is why he continues to insist that Liberia needs to raise the benchmark for education for those who serve in the Legislature. He addressed Kolubah directly, asking him not to see the Unity Party as the brain behind his removal, saying Kolubah’s utterances were not carefully thought through when he made them. Tarpeh concluded by wishing Kolubah well in his next endeavor.
