Vows to Resist Lawmakers Arrest in Capitol Building Burning Saga.
Monrovia, Liberia – The opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) would fight any attempt to arrest its members in the House of Representatives, according to Atty. Augustus Janga Kowo, the party’s national chair.
Following allegations of imminent arrest warrants for legislators who are purportedly against the contentious ouster of beleaguered Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, Atty. Kowo made these statements. Cllr. Koffa, Representatives Abu Bana Kamara, Dixon W. Seboe, Frank Saah Foko, and Marvin Cole are among the lawmakers allegedly targeted; they are alleged to have planned the recent fire assault on the Capitol Building.
In order to protect Liberia’s democracy, peace, and stability, Atty. Kowo encouraged the Unity Party-led government to respect constitutional principles during a press conference held in Monrovia on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
President Boakai and his Unity Party have the key to this nation’s peace and stability, Kowo stated. By purportedly ordering the “illegal” detention of parliamentarians who support the rule of law, he cautioned the government against inciting national security.
He said, “Any attempt to arrest CDC lawmakers is an arrest of the entire CDC.”
Additionally, Chairman Kowo blasted the Liberia National Police (LNP) for what he described as a poor investigation of the December 18, 2024, Capitol Building fire event. He criticized the police for not revealing who was in charge of protecting the Capitol Building prior to the fire, raising doubts about the probe’s transparency.
Who was in charge of Capitol Building security on December 18? Kowo argued, “You haven’t said how chairs were taken out of the Joint Chambers prior to the fire.
He said that the police were trying to damage the reputations of “decent citizens” by bringing unfounded accusations against them. He claimed that the government’s actions were a part of a plot to justify Speaker Koffa’s dismissal, something the CDC vehemently opposes.
Chairman Kowo declared that on January 27, 2025, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) will be boycotted by the CDC Legislative Caucus, which is headed by Senator Nathaniel F. McGill of Marbigi County. He said that Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, whom he called a “illegal speaker,” was not acting in accordance with the constitution.
Chairman Kowo underlined, “You have deposed the speaker and approved the budget, but all of the spending in the 2025 national budget is unlawful since it was signed by an illegitimate speaker.” He pledged to fight any opposing moves in court and reiterated the CDC’s position that Cllr. Koffa is still the legal Speaker of the 55th National Legislature.
The European Union, the Mano River Union, ECOWAS, and the U.S. government are among the international organizations that Atty. Kowo urged to keep a careful eye on the issue. He emphasized that it is important to avoid mistaking the CDC’s present prudence for weakness.
“We are not weak if we remain silent. In 2024, we peacefully turned over national security to the UP government, but we will not stand for the repression of innocent and peaceful people,” he said.
Kowo promised that the CDC will stand up to the Boakai-Koung government in Liberia and fight for the people’s rights. He called on opposition members to band together against what he called a “tyrannical regime” and accused the government of holding people under pressure in order to coerce false confessions. In his closing remarks, the Chairman called on party structures and people across the country to oppose what he saw as intentional attacks by the Unity Party government. He pledged that the CDC will not waver in its support of justice and democracy.
