MONROVIA – Representative Frank Saah Foko Jr. of Montserrado County District 9 has raised serious constitutional concerns over what he describes as the exclusion of opposition lawmakers from Liberia’s 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), a key national exercise mandated under Article 58 of the Constitution.
In a formal statement released today, Monday, January 26, 2026, the day President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is scheduled to deliver the address, Foko reminded the nation of the constitutional requirements of Article 58. The article mandates that the President present the administration’s legislative program and report on the state of the Republic to the Legislature on the fourth working Monday in January each year.
Foko emphasized that while the Legislature is constitutionally the workplace of lawmakers, long-standing protocol requires that formal invitations and access passes be issued ahead of such events to ensure proper coordination and institutional order.
According to the Montserrado lawmaker, as of the morning of the address, no access pass had been extended to him and other lawmakers, a situation he said raises serious concerns that opposition legislators are being deliberately excluded from the constitutional exercise.
“It is troubling to inform fellow Liberians that, as of this morning, no access pass has been extended to us,” Foko stated, warning that such an omission risks undermining the integrity of the State of the Nation Address.
He stressed that lawmakers were elected by their districts to actively represent the interests of the people and to hold the system accountable, not to be sidelined during major national functions.
“Our districts and our people elected us not to be passive observers or ceremonial singers,” Foko said, asserting that participation in the SONA is an essential part of legislative responsibility.
Foko argued that exclusion from a constitutionally mandated national event directly weakens the principles of separation of powers and democratic governance enshrined in Liberia’s Constitution.
“The exclusion of lawmakers from this exercise undermines both our representative duty and the foundational principles of democratic governance,” he noted.
The District 9 representative maintained that attendance at the State of the Nation Address is not a privilege but a constitutional obligation tied to the Legislature’s oversight role.
He therefore demanded that due process, established protocol, and constitutional provisions be respected without delay.
Foko called for the immediate extension of invitations and access passes to all lawmakers to enable their full participation in the address, as required by law.
He specifically addressed Speaker of the House of Representatives Richard Nagbe Koon and Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah, urging them to take note of the situation and act accordingly.
Foko warned that failure to correct the matter could set a troubling precedent where constitutional requirements are selectively applied based on political considerations.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to defending legislative integrity and ensuring that the voices of his constituents, and those of other represented districts, are not excluded from critical national discourse.
