The opposition Unity Party of Liberian President-elect—Joseph Boakai has Somersaulted over its initial decision to drag House Speaker Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa to court, questioning his citizenship status.

In a petition filed before the court on Monday, January 15, 2024; the Party by and thru its National Chairman, Rev. J. Luther Tarpeh, National Secretary General Amos Tweh and all other three Officials of the Unity Party alleged that Speaker Kofa was an American citizen as such he is barred from holding such position as a Speaker.

Tarpeh and other officials ran to the Civil Law Court immediately after their preferred choice of candidate for the speakers’ position lost the election, questioning Kofa’s nationality.

However, just two days after Kofa was notified and mandated to file his return before the court, the Unity Party announced a withdrawal of the matter from the court.

“…the Clerk Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Civil Law Court A for Montserrado Temple of Justice, Monrovia, Liberia Mr. Clerk: NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL; …you will please take judicial notice and spread upon the records of this Honorable Court that Petitioner in the above-entitled cause of action, has on this day and date WITHDRAWN its Petition for Declaratory Judgment with reservation,” UP said in its petition.

Meanwhile, political pundits believe the UP officials were pressured to withdraw the matter after the Kofa bloc threatened to boycott the inauguration of Boakai on January 22, 2024.

At the same time, the spokesman of the Kofa camp has described as feeble the lawsuit filed against Speaker Kofa by the UP.

He challenged the UP to prove its claims against Kofa, stressing that Speaker Kofa is not an American. He described the complaint as post-election trauma suffered by the UP officials.

“We saw it back in 2016 when members of the opposing side brought about the issues of citizenship against Cllr. Kofa. Interestingly, they went and got a passport from the internet, inserted his photo claiming it was his passport and accused him of having a citizenship with the United States,” he said.

He said in order to prove their claims; the Unity Party will have to write to the US Department of Justice to answer to them, something he described as laughable.