What We Established About Koffa, Boakai’s meeting

Patrick Moryor, Margibi Fellow

On Sunday, April 27, 2025, Spoon FM/TV reporter James Samuel Goodday claimed that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai rejected the embattled speaker’s request of $10 million in exchange for his resignation as Speaker of the Honorable House of Representatives during a secret meeting at President Boakai’s Rehab residence.

 

Flomo further claimed that the 'Rule of Law' Legislative Caucus Chairman representative Musa Hassan Bility attended the negotiation meeting along with embattled speaker Koffa.

 

Contrary to Flomo's report, an online television, Hope TV-Liberia, also reported that J. Fonati Koffa rejected a bribe of US$ 15 million from President Boakai to resign as speaker of the 55th National Legislature.

 

Hope TV-Liberia further stated that sources in the meeting told them that Koffa reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the rule of law and that he would resign free of charge when the need arises.

 

These claims have raised a series of concerns among Liberians, with many finding it difficult to believe either of the reports.

 

 

It is yet to be established that embattled Speaker Koffa requested $10 million from President Boakai, nor did embattled Speaker Koffa refuse to accept US$ 15 million as resignation fees.

 

When those reports were posted on social media, Musa H. Bility, in a Facebook post, denied meeting with President Boakai. He said that the last time he met with the president was in January 2025.

Bility termed the claim as false and called on members of both blocs to abide by the Supreme Court decision.

 

 

Yes, embattled speaker Koffa and some members of the majority and minority blocs have had a series of meetings with the president on Saturday and prior to the Supreme Court ruling on April 23, 2025, according to Presidential Press Secretary Kula B. Fofana.

However, there is no evidence that either party, President Boakai or Koffa, denies or rejects a proposal of an amount.

Fofana said President Boakai did not deny a financial proposal from Koffa to resign, nor did Koffa reject US$ 15 million from Boakai either.

 Kula said the purpose of a series of meetings being held with President Boakai is to address the impasse in the House of Representatives amicably.

She further clarified that at no point in time have any financial negotiations between President Boakai and the majority and minority blocs taken place.

 

Fofana denied the claim, described it as 'false and misleading,' and has the propensity to divert citizens’ minds from the reality and make people look at the president and Koffa differently.

 

She called on Flomo and operators of various online platforms to verify information before publishing it, especially when it is about national concerns. She noted that the media is a powerful tool that can bring peace and cause chaos when the wrong information is being shared.

 

In a Facebook post shared by Bility, the minority bloc of embattled speaker Koffa has officially submitted a draft proposal to former President Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for onward transmission to all parties involved in the ongoing leadership crisis within the House of Representatives.

 

According to him, the proposal, once adopted through a binding resolution, seeks to bring to an end the reign of Koffa and will ensure the conduct of a free, fair, and transparent election for a new speaker of the House of Representatives.

 

It can be recalled that the Supreme Court of Liberia delivered its opinion in the ongoing power struggle between the House of Representatives’ self-declared majority and minority bloc.

 

The high court  declared the majority's actions unconstitutional, effectively ending Representative Richard N. Koon’s controversial campaign to unseat the Speaker.

 

In its final judgment, the court described the bloc’s actions as a “flagrant disregard for constitutional order” and nullified all decisions taken during their unsanctioned legislative sessions.

 

The political impasse began in late 2024, when the  "Majority Bloc" launched an initiative to remove Koffa as speaker, citing a loss of confidence in his leadership.

 

 The effort quickly drew legal scrutiny after the Bloc began holding parallel sessions without meeting the quorum or procedural requirements outlined in the Liberian Constitution.

 

In December 2024, the Supreme Court issued an initial ruling declaring those actions unconstitutional. 

 

Despite that decision, the Bloc continued to operate outside constitutional bounds, prompting Speaker Koffa’s legal team to file a Bill of Information earlier this year, seeking enforcement of the court’s ruling.

  

Conclusion:  In conclusion, we establish that embattled  Koffa met with President  Boakai but there is no evidence that there were financial negotiations discussed as claimed by both Journalist Flomo and Hope TV-Liberia.