Monrovia — As the battle to unseat Speaker J. Fonati Koffa intensifies, Jefferson Tamba Koijee, Secretary General of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), has vowed that the party will expel any of its legislators who fail to gather at the CDC headquarters on Monday, October 21, 2024, to strategize against Koffa's removal.
Koijee addressed a news conference over the weekend at the party's headquarters in Congo Town, announcing that the National Executive Committee's called meeting would include all CDC lawmakers from the 55th Legislature.
He stated that a key agenda item for the meeting is for all CDC executives, lawmakers, and partisans to escort Speaker Koffa, who is also a ranking member of the party, to the Capitol Building.
"Speaker Koffa will be escorted to the Capitol by our party members to continue working for the Liberian people," Koijee stressed. He argued that Koffa has committed no wrongdoing that would justify his "illegal" removal and accused President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of orchestrating the political plot against the Speaker.
Last week, 47 members of the House of Representatives reportedly signed a resolution calling for Koffa's removal, citing conflicts of interest and budget alterations as grounds for their decision.
However, Koijee condemned the move, labeling it unconstitutional, politically imbalanced, and undemocratic, allegedly orchestrated by the Unity Party-led government.
To resist what he deemed the unlawful removal of Koffa, Koijee issued a stern warning to all CDC legislators, especially those in the House of Representatives, threatening expulsion from the party if they fail to attend Monday's emergency meeting. "If they fail to show up, they will be expelled from the party," he declared.
Koijee also urged independent lawmakers to join the Koffa bloc in resisting his removal and defending Liberia's democracy, peace, and stability.
He dismissed claims of division among CDC legislators, calling them tactics by the Boakai-Koung regime to deceive partisans and Liberians, distracting them from the alleged anti-democratic campaign against Koffa.
The CDC Secretary General emphasized that past Unity Party-led efforts to remove former Speakers Edwin Melvin Snowe and Alex J. Tyler succeeded, but warned that this would not work against Koffa. "Fonati Koffa remains Speaker. Hands off! If you don't listen, you will be forced to comply," he said.
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Koijee accused President Boakai of undermining Liberia's democracy and abandoning the "bread and butter" issues for which he was elected. He warned that the CDC would not stand by as the country risks falling into chaos and threatened that Boakai may not have a second chance at the presidency if he interferes with Koffa's position.
Koijee also called on the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to immediately investigate the alleged bribery scandal involving some House members.
Bong County Electoral District #3 Representative Josiah Marvin Cole accused Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, both of whom are from the CDC, of distributing US$1.4 million among legislators as an inducement to remove Koffa--an allegation Fallah denied.
Video footage circulated on social media showing a lawmaker revealing cash, claiming that US$15,000 was part of a promised US$25,000 offered to lawmakers in exchange for removing the Speaker.
