The unresolved political turmoil on Capitol Hill has tainted Liberia's image for the past months as two officials bear the title of speaker of the House of Representatives.
There are questions everywhere whether President Joseph Nyuma Boakai will face two Speakers of the House of Representatives when he delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Legislature next Monday, January 27, 2025.
The State of the Nation Address is an annual address given by the President to a joint session of the Legislature and marks the Legislature's official opening.
It is designed to be a report on the economic and social state of the nation and includes a review of the past year and priorities for the current year.
This is a special and unique occasion where all three arms of the state are in the same place together.
But this year's address may look dramatic given the trend of events since last year that led to the removal of House Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa and the subsequent election of Montserrado County Representative Richard Nagbe Koon as the new Speaker.
However, Mr. Koffa and his colleagues who remain loyal to him have refused to recognize Mr. Koon, although the government recognizes the latter.
What remains to be seen is whether Koffa will attend the delivery of the State of the Nation address, especially when his loyalists say they will boycott it.
On the day of the address, the President usually invites several guests to the House chamber.
But this year, the SONA will be held on the grounds of the Capitol, where his inaugural program was held.
The Director of Press and Public Affairs at the House of Representatives, Mr. Robert Haynes, confirmed on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, that the Joint Chamber on Executive at the Legislature has invited the speaker, Fonati Koffa, to attend the event.
Since late 2024, the House of Representatives has been beset by a power struggle, with one faction of lawmakers (Majority bloc) claiming to have removed and replaced Speaker Koffa.
The group loyal to Speaker Koffa has since resisted the action, calling it unconstitutional.
In the heart of the controversy, members of the Majority bloc at the House of Representatives elected Representative Richard Koon as the new Speaker on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at the Capitol.
Since his controversial election, he has been met with resistance from legislators loyal to Speaker Koffa.
The tension escalated the days after the budget was submitted to the majority bloc for hearing, allegedly contributing to the fire incident at the Capitol Building.
The National Security Agency (NSA) has recently arrested and charged Alex D. Dolewon, 40, for leaking classified information from the NSA to Speaker Koffa.
In the NSA's complaint filed at the Monrovia City Court against Dolewon, law enforcement alleged that he leaked classified information via WhatsApp to his uncle, Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa.
Despite the political wrestle between the two blocs, Kofa continues to stand his ground as a legitimate speaker for the 55 Legislatures.
When the President arrives, he is escorted to the chamber by the House and Senate members.
The Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives announces the arrival of the President.
The Speaker then introduces the President, who delivers his speech to the Legislature.
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If speaker Koon introduces the president while speaker Koffa is cited as a guest, this will automatically mean he is sitting under Koon's gavel, something he has resisted for months.
Sitting under Koon's Koon authority as a guest could be a pivotal point, as many have been urging Koffa to resign and end the political turmoil on Capitol Hill.
Liberia has not had a time when it had two Speakers simultaneously.
If Koffa continues to hold on as an embattled Speaker up to say of the SONA, Liberia will be setting another notorious record in its legislative politics with a president facing two Speakers.
The Speaker and the Vice President sit on the dais, a raised platform directly behind where the President speaks.
With the ongoing situation, people are now waiting to see the outcome of the president's SONA.
