Liberia: Boakai’s 2026 SONA Under Threat
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration is bracing for heightened tension with the House of Representatives in 2026, as reports indicate lawmakers plan to boycott his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The President’s SONA is constitutionally delivered each year on the fourth working Monday in January before the National Legislature. It highlights the condition of the nation and outlines the government’s legislative and policy agenda. In 2025, President Boakai delivered his second SONA on Monday, January 27, 2025.
The potential boycott comes amid escalating disputes in the Legislature, particularly the House of Representatives (HoR), over the reported removal of the 55th Speaker and Deputy Speaker, amid what lawmakers describe as a “litany of grievances.”
As part of their strategy, lawmakers have reportedly agreed to boycott the President’s SONA and deny Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon a quorum in future House sittings to press their demands.
Reports indicate that at least 22 lawmakers met at the Police Academy community in Paynesville, Montserrado County, on Sunday, December 21, 2025, to discuss plans aimed at removing Speaker Koon and Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah. The meeting reportedly included majority bloc members aligning with minority bloc lawmakers, citing growing concerns about leadership and accountability within the House.
The group is said to be preparing a ten-count resolution calling for the removal of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, four members of the Ways, Means, and Finance Committee, and one member of the Rules and Order Committee.
The 22 aggrieved lawmakers, mostly from the majority bloc loyal to Speaker Koon, cited reasons including alleged lack of accountability, poor leadership, marginalization of members, usurpation of committee functions, and financial malpractices.
A source emphasized the group’s determination: “We are firm in decision. The Speaker knows we are resolved and it has been difficult for him to get a quorum for any legislative business. Rep. Fallah and the others who think they are not accountable will be removed. Yet, starting with the SONA.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Thomas Nimene Tweh, Original Countryman and former challenger to Representative Koon in District 11, Montserrado County, joined the debate, noting “The Regime Speaker will be removed. We will work with the initial 22 lawmakers who are initiating the fight. We need to be serious in this country. Loving to each other.”
The tensions echo past leadership disputes in the House, notably the controversial effort to remove former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, which led to months of deadlock. In late 2024, about 47 representatives signed a resolution seeking to oust Speaker Koffa, citing misconduct and unconstitutional actions. Many later withdrew, alleging procedural irregularities and even bribes.
The Supreme Court ruled that certain actions by the House during that crisis were unconstitutional, deepening confusion over legislative legitimacy. For months, two factions operated separately, one loyal to Speaker Koffa and another led by Richard Nagbe Koon claiming majority control, holding rival sessions and stalling government functions.
Order was eventually restored after Speaker Koffa resigned in May 2025, and Richard N. Koon was elected through a constitutional process. However, the memory of the conflict remains a cautionary reminder of how internal disputes can disrupt governance.
By New Dawn.
