By: Akoi M. Baysah, Jr.
Liberia’s fragile democratic credentials are facing renewed scrutiny as the opposition leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Alexander B. Cummings, weighs in on the intensifying controversy surrounding efforts to expel Montserrado County District #10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah.
Cummings, the ANC political leader has warned that the move could signal a dangerous slide toward political intolerance.The attempt to remove Rep. Kolubah follows remarks he allegedly made regarding a sensitive border issue, comments some lawmakers argue undermine national security.
Critics including Cummings, say the justification is a thin veil for what they describe as a calculated attempt to silence a persistent and uncomfortable critic of the ruling establishment.
The ANC Political leader further cautioned that using legislative power to remove an elected representative over controversial speech risks eroding public trust and weakening democratic norms, stressing that democracy must protect not only agreeable voices but also those that challenge authority.
“This is bigger than one individual,” Cummings noted. “If we begin to weaponize institutions against dissent, we undermine the very foundation of our democracy.”According to him, Rep. Kolubah has long been regarded as one of the legislature’s most outspoken and polarizing figures, and has built his political identity on confrontational criticism of those in power.
While his rhetoric has often sparked outrage, it has also resonated with segments of the population who view him as a rare voice of defiance within government.
He argued that the current push to expel Rep. Kolubah reflects a troubling shift in how dissent is treated. During the administration of former President George Weah, Kolubah’s combative posture was largely tolerated, and at times defended, as a legitimate expression of democratic opposition.
Cummings has expressed that under President Joseph Boakai, similar conduct is now being framed as grounds for removal, warning that such inconsistency risks reinforcing perceptions of selective justice and political retaliation.
“Expulsion is the most extreme disciplinary action a legislature can take,” a Monrovia-based legal expert explained. “Deploying it in a politically charged context raises serious questions about motive and precedent.”
He further mentioned in a statement issued on his official Facebook page that beyond the legal and political implications, the potential fallout carries economic consequences.
Indicating that expelling Kolubah would necessitate a by-election in Montserrado County, an expensive undertaking at a time when Liberia faces mounting fiscal pressures and urgent development needs.For many, Kolubah’s case is no longer just about one lawmaker’s conduct but about whether dissenting voices can survive within the country’s political system without facing institutional backlash.
However, supporters of the embattled lawmaker argue that he was elected in 2023 by thousands of constituents who entrusted him with a six-year mandate, one that should not be overturned lightly or for politically expedient reasons.
As the debate intensifies, pressure is mounting on the House of Representatives to justify its actions in a manner that withstands both legal scrutiny and public opinion.
The decision lawmakers take in the coming days may well define not just the fate of Yekeh Kolubah, but the future character of Liberia’s democracy itself.
