MONROVIA – Representative Richard Nagbe Koon, leader of the Majority Bloc claiming control of the House of Representatives, has installed steel doors at the entrance of the main chamber, escalating tensions despite a Supreme Court ruling that declared his speakership claim unconstitutional.
The move comes just days after the Supreme Court ruled that all decisions and actions taken under Koon and Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah’s leadership were illegal. The Court reaffirmed that any session held without Speaker J. Fonati Koffa presiding while present and not incapacitated violated the Constitution.
Koon’s installation of the steel doors marks his latest attempt to block Koffa from accessing his official office and the main legislative chamber. Before the Court’s intervention, Koon had already ordered the locks changed, forcibly removed Koffa’s belongings, and set up his own operation inside the Speaker’s office.
In an earlier incident, Koon directed Capitol police and House staff to break into the vehicle of Representative Yekeh Kolubah after Kolubah parked in the Speaker’s reserved space at the Capitol.
The main chamber, now sealed, was a central battleground in the leadership dispute. In October 2024, leveraging their numbers, the Majority Bloc relocated to the Joint Chambers, declared the Speaker’s seat vacant, and elected Koon. Koon had previously lost the official House Speaker election to Koffa in January 2024.
With support from the Executive Branch, the Majority Bloc stripped Koffa of security protection, seized House bank accounts, suspended pro-Koffa lawmakers, and took over the national draft budget process.
Koffa challenged these moves before the Supreme Court, leading to a landmark judgment by Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh, who ruled that a Speaker cannot be ousted while present and capable. The Court branded the actions of Koon’s bloc as unconstitutional.
Despite the ruling, Koon has refused to recognize the Court’s authority. He dismissed the decision as an “audacious violation” of the separation of powers and insisted that his removal of Koffa was conducted legally under Article 49 of the Constitution and House Rule 9(a).
“No Supreme Court opinion or judgment can erase this Resolution from the records of the House,” Koon said, pledging that plenary sessions would continue without regard to the Court’s decision.
Koon’s defiance has raised alarms about a looming constitutional crisis. Some Majority Bloc lawmakers, including Representative James Kolleh of Bong County, have threatened impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court justices for alleged judicial interference.
While the Supreme Court’s decision was expected to resolve months of legislative paralysis, Koon’s refusal to back down has deepened uncertainty about the future of the House of Representatives and the stability of Liberia’s democratic institutions.
