As House Elects Cllr. J. Koffa As Speaker: UP Runs To Court; Accuses Speaker Of Dual Citizenship

The Unity Party (UP), by and through its National Chairman, Rev. J. Luther Tarpeh, Secretary General, Amos Tweh and all other officials of the party has dragged the newly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, to the Civil Law Court, requesting a petition for declaratory judgment to boot out Cllr. Koffa from the Speakership.

According to the petition of the in-coming ruling party, Cllr. Koffa is not qualified to occupy an elected position under Liberian law; as such, the court should nullify his election as Representative of Grand Kru County’s district #2 in the October 10 general and presidential elections, which will subsequently affect and cause him to relinquish his position as Speaker of the House.

The Unity Party relied on Article 4 Section 1 of the act amending and/or nullifying certain provisions of the Alien and Nationality Law relating to citizenship and restoring the citizenship rights lost as a consequence of those provisions. The article reads, “A Liberian citizen who holds the citizenship of another country shall not be eligible for any elective public office while still a citizen of another country.

Should such person desire to contest for elective public office, the person must renounce the citizenship of the other country at least one (1) year prior to applying to the National elections Commission to contest for an elective public office and such documentary evidence of such renunciation of citizenship of the other country shall be filed with a circuit court in Liberia and with the National Elections Commission (NEC) at least one (1) year before application to the National Elections Commission to contest for the elective public office.” The petition was issued on January 15, 2024, at about 12:30 p.m., a few hours before the election of Cllr. Koffa as Speaker of the House.

In the meantime, the court has given Cllr. Koffa ten (10) days to respond to the UP petition.

On Monday, January 15, 2024 the National Legislature conducted elections for the positions of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Senate Pro-Tempore. The Speakership was contested by Grand Kru County’s district #2 Representative, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, and Montserrado County’s district #11 Representative, Richard Koon. Koffa defeated Koon by thirty-six (36) to thirty-one (31). The Deputy Speaker position was contested by Lofa County’s district #1 Representative, Thomas Fallah, and Nimba County’s district #7 Representative, Musa Hassan Bility. Fallah obtained forty-two (42) votes and emerged winner ahead of Bility, who obtained twenty-four (24) votes. Grand Bassa County Senator, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, won the Senate Pro-Tempore position on white ballot, which was cast by the out-going Pro-Temp, Prof. Albert Chie, on behalf of senators. They were elected to steer the affairs of the Legislature for the next six years.

The election was held at the ground of the Capitol after the dismissal of the 54th National Legislature and the ushering in of the 55th National Legislature.

The 55th National Legislature is being termed as politically and regionally balanced as compared to the 54th Legislature, which was headed by members of the CDC—then ruling party. In the new administration, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are both members of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), arguably the main opposition during the Boakai-Koung government. On the other hand, the Pro-Tempore of the Senate, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, hails from Grand Bassa County and is a member of the UP Alliance.

However, the Unity Party appears not to be satisfied with the election of Cllr. Koffa, and has begun the ousting proceedings through the Civil Law Court. The case is being handled by Cllr. Cooper Kruah, Cllr. Kabina Ja’neh and an array of lawyers loyal to Boakai’s presidency.

Even though the Hot Pepper could not interview Cllr. Koffa up to press time, it is being reported that, as if he knew about the UP plan, the newly elected Speaker is fully prepared to challenge the petition, with an array of seasoned lawyers to take up the case.

It is also being rumored that Cllr. Koffa, who himself is a lawyer, is contemplating on challenging the citizenship of several members of the Liberian Senate with dual citizenship. Multiple sources have informed the Hot Pepper that the citizenship of about seven (7) senators may be challenged if the UP opts to continue with the petition against the Speaker.

If this information is anything to go by, the ensuing legal battle could retard the workings of the first branch of government, as senators being targeted allegedly include the Pro-Temp, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, and Amara Konneh. According to the sources, the UP petition is against Cllr. Koffa and the National Elections Commission (NEC), and with the complicated indictment coming from the other hand, it could drag up to the end of the year to investigate all these claims and counterclaims and render judgment.

The sources wondered why the UP folks are not concerned with the inauguration of President-elect Joseph N. Boakai; instead, opting to remove a fairly elected Speaker who, prior to his election, served as Deputy Speaker. They say what appears funny is that, if they are successful in removing Speaker Koffa, he will be succeeded by the Deputy Speaker, Thomas Fallah, who is a more practical CDCian than Koffa.

The sources warned the leaders of the Unity Party not to haul the rope, as the rope may haul the bush, and this could bring the entire country to a standstill, if not Constitutional crisis, which could hamper the smooth administration of the nation’s affairs.