Details emerging from the Sunday, January 7, 2024, meeting between President-elect, Joseph N. Boakai and Deputy House Speaker Cllr. Fonati Koffa revealed Amb. Boakai’s failed attempt to arm-twist Koffa to back off the Speakership race, just days before newly elected and retained lawmakers can go to the polls, the New Dawn has gathered.
Cllr. Koffa, who is currently the Deputy Speaker of the 54th Legislature is seeking to replace his boss, outgoing Speaker Bhofal Chambers.
However, a meeting between Boakai and Koffa did not go well on Sunday, as the President-elect asked that Deputy Speaker Koffa back off from the speakership race to pave the way for Unity Party’s candidate Representative Richard N. Koon, who is also contesting the speakership.
According to sources within the proximity of the President-elect, Boakai, it is alleged told Cllr. Koffa that he was being pressured by members of his Unity Party to prevail on Koffa to leave the speakership election, which is due next Monday, January 15.
Our sources said Koffa, in return, told Boakai that he would not back down because to do so would mean killing his political ambition and also him resigning from the incoming 55th Legislature, as he would have betrayed the trust of his colleagues, who have reposed confidence in him for the 3rd most powerful job in the country.
Another source informed this paper that Amb. Boakai’s request for Koffa to back off the speakership election was like throwing Koffa under the bus, because the President-elect, while visiting the United States in December 2023, met with Koffa and assured him that he had his blessing to run because he barely knew Rep. Koon who has now emerged as the UP’s leading candidate.
Though Deputy Speaker Koffa confirmed that he did meet with Amb. Boakai on Sunday but declined to comment on details of their meeting.
President-elect Boakai’s meeting with Deputy Speaker Koffa came days ahead of his (Boakai) meeting with 31 others – newly and re-elected lawmakers on Wednesday, January 10, at which time he promised to dish out US5000.00 to each of the 73 lawmakers as funding for his inaugural celebration in the country’s 73 electoral districts.
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“I was part of 31 lawmakers that met the president and vice president-elect yesterday, not necessarily to pledge support to his candidate for the SPEAKERSHIP but rather an opportunity or privilege to meet, congratulate and explain to him and team what we stand for as a district and county,” Jacob C Debee, one of the newly elected lawmakers from Sinoe County wrote on his social media page following his meeting with Amb. Boakai.
“The president-elect reaffirmed his desire to grade all roads to standard in his 1st 100 days. He also promised to decentralize the distribution of medical supplies like building a regional hub of storage in one central county that will distribute assorted medical supplies. He also promised to give 5000.00 USD to each electoral district to celebrate his inauguration because he didn’t want everyone coming to Monrovia for celebration. He revealed that the CDC government has made available 650k for the inauguration program.” Incoming Representative Debee said.
Meanwhile, intense lobbying for the Speakership continues unabated as Deputy Speaker Koffa who is a Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate has a numerical advantage over his rival Rep. Koon.
While the CDC can boast of over 27 lawmakers going into this election, the incoming Unity Party (UP) Government was able to secure only 11 seats in the October 10, 2023, Legislative polls.
More besides, Koffa is being viewed as a lawmaker who can move both sides of the isles and can find his way through both camps and therefore, is best suited to take over from Chambers as compared to his rival Rep. Koon who lacks the ability to maneuver his way through the House to get his colleagues in line.
However, UP still believes that it can secure both the Senate Pro-Tempore position and the Speakership, arguing that CDC was able to take control of both houses during the Weah regime.
But political pundits have debunked such argument, saying the CDC grabbing both houses did not work to its advantage, and that looking at President George Weah, Speaker Chambers, and Pro-Temp Albert Chie, only Chie was able to retain his seat.
In addition, pundits say politics is about numbers and the UP does not have such numbers to enable Koon to pull the trigger, suggesting that Boakai should just start preparing himself for a Koffa speakership.
Why short memory?
Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf faced with similar challenge in 2006, against Rep. Edwin Snowe of Montserrado District #6, now Senator for Bomi County had to focus on winning the seat rather than attempting to arm-twist Snowe or force him to abandon his speakership dream.
President-elect Boakai could have gone back to learn from his former boss who enjoyed a stable Legislature before some corrupt leaders came to the scene.
Mrs. Sirleaf was able to work around opposition lawmakers. She had desired few good Senators to head the Senate but was taken off guard by a curved ball that was served her. She did not see Armah Jallah coming in along with the late Geraldine Doe Sheriff.
Thus, it begs the question as to who are those acting as Legislative Consultants to the President-elect and the UP folks.
The names Clearance Massaquoi, Hassan Kiazulo, and Francis Doupo ring bells but as to whether they command the political weight to give CDC Koffa the run for his money is another story. -Writes Othello B. Garblah
