Monrovia, Liberia – Following Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa’s resignation, Montserrado County Representative Richard Nagbe Koon was decisively elected Speaker of the 55th Legislature on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, after months of legal fights, political impasses, and a final constitutional reckoning.
In the vote on Capitol Hill that came after months of acrimonious political fighting, Koon received 43 votes, beating Nimba County Representative Musa H. Bility, who received 26. A months-long speakership battle that had stalled the Legislature came to an official end with the election.
The vote was prompted by the resignation of Koffa, an opposition figure and Grand Kru County lawmaker, on Monday, May 12. Despite a recent Supreme Court judgment upholding his choice, he attributed it to a worsening security climate and growing factionalism.
In the midst of circulating reports that the Executive Branch had made him an offer, Koffa denied receiving any financial enticement to leave the position. Rather, he claimed that all he asked for was the long-overdue payment of his parliamentary friends’ salary and benefits. According to Koffa, the best moment to sell it would have been before the decision if “I had withdrawn my lawsuit, not right now.”
A turbulent period in Liberia’s legislative history comes to an end with his departure. For several months, Liberia had two Houses functioning in parallel: one headed by Koffa and the other by Koon, who called himself the “majority bloc.”
The Supreme Court ruled on April 23 that Koon’s previous claim to the Speakership was unlawful, nullifying all legislative activities that were carried out under his leadership, including the enactment of the national budget for 2025. The Court upheld that only the elected Speaker or, in his absence, the Deputy Speaker may chair sessions with a quorum in accordance with Articles 33 and 49 of the 1986 Constitution.
The verdict nullified significant actions by Koon’s group, such as budget enactments, pay withholdings, and attempts to recall ECOWAS lawmakers, and ruled that the establishment of a second, parallel plenary was unlawful. Additionally, the Attorney General’s legal opinion that attempted to support Koon’s previous acts was rejected by the Court.
Some observers believe the Legislature may start to restore now that Koon was elected through a legally approved procedure. However, the crisis has left lasting wounds and emotions still high.
Koffa described the arrest and ongoing imprisonment of several of his employees at Monrovia Central Prison as politically motivated and called for foreign investigators to look into the matter.
As Koon is ready to assume full leadership of the Speakership, he must not only bring the sharply divided House together but also rebuild public confidence in a legislature that many Liberians now see as a place for partisanship rather than national service.
