On Saturday, August 23, 2025, Liberia and Liberians witnessed an unprecedented event of the demolition and destruction of the National Headquarters of Liberia’s Lead and Largest opposition party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC). This illegal exercise was carried out under the pretext of a court order, which was clearly illegal and extraordinary because of the serious disregard to provisions of the Liberian Constitution (Article 20(A&B) and the Civil Procedure law of Liberia (Chapter 51§ 51.20).
Liberian constitution:
“Article 20
20 (a) No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, security of the person, property, privilege or any other right except as the outcome of a hearing judgment consistent with the provisions laid down in this Constitution and in accordance with due process of law. Justice shall be done without sale, denial or delay……”
20 (b) The right of an appeal from a judgment, decree, decision or ruling of any court or administrative board or agency, except the Supreme Court, shall be held inviolable. The Legislature shall prescribe rules and procedures for the easy, expeditious and inexpensive filing and hearing of an appeal.”
The enabling legislative enactment, Chapter 51 of the Civil Procedure Law, concludes in § 51.20: Effect of appeal as a stay. “On announcement of an appeal by a defendant, no execution shall issue on a judgment against him nor shall any proceedings be taken for its enforcement until final judgment is rendered ….”
The timing of the demolition of our National Headquarters on the eve of the National Elections Commission’s annual inspection of Headquarters of political parties is concerning as this could be a plot to affect our legal standing as a political party in the Republic of Liberia.
It is saddening to note that the judiciary has become apparently compromised. It has become an instrument and a vehicle for the government to abuse and violate the rule of law in Liberia. We took every step to ensure that our rights were protected under the laws of Liberia. Our petitions were ignored and denied.
When the framers of the Liberian constitution, said an appeal shall be held inviolable, they meant to prevent arbitrary actions such as the destruction of our properties on Saturday, August 23, 2025, while our APPEALS are pending before the supreme court of Liberia, the final arbiter of Justice in Liberia. The CDC can never recover the “SYCAMORE TREE” which was maliciously destroyed by the Government of Liberia using the hands of the Civil Law Court (Which is not the Final Arbiter of Justice) in Liberia.
Our APPEALS before the Supreme Court of Liberia have become EFFORTS IN FUTILITY because a legal victory at the Supreme Court will never reverse the preventable Damage done at the CDC National Headquarters. WHY SHOULD WE STILL PURSUE THESE APPEALS? This is like a murder Convict, executed before his/her appeal is heard by the SUPREME COURT of Liberia.
What if Her Honor Gloria Musu Scott, who was convicted for the murder of Charloe Musu by the Circuit court was executed before her Appeal at the Supreme Court was Adjudicated?
The ugly incident of the unprovoked and unwarranted political motivated demolition of the National Headquarters of the CDC on Saturday, August 23, 2025 could have been prevented if the Government of Liberia and Judiciary wanted to follow the rule of Law. The eviction was clearly an illegal act carried out by the Government under the pretext of executing a court order.
Our democracy is at risk when the justice system is weaponized and bias under the Boakai-Koung Administration. There is a serious threat to our peace, stability, and democracy when the judiciary becomes an avenue for political manipulation as clearly seen over the last 18 months of the Boakai Koung Administration.
Several Supreme court rulings have been ignored by the Government of Liberia but was hasty to execute a judgement of the Civil court relating to the CDC National Headquarters when the matter is on Appeal before the full Bench of the Supreme of Liberia – This is sheer mockery and not Justice.
Liberia’s history is replete with pretense of justice leading to the breakdown of law and order because citizens lost faith in the governance system and resorted to Coup d’etat and later, an armed Struggle.
The abuse of power and manipulation of the Judicial processes led to Liberia’s bloody civil wars.
Thanks to His Excellency President George Manneh Weah, Political Leader of the CDC for taking the hard and difficult leadership role of maintaining the peace even amid these glaring abuses. This is a testament to leadership and patriotism.
We thank our astute Political Leader, His Excellency President Weah and the CDC National Executive Committee for the appointment of a National Headquarters Construction Committee led by former Speaker, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa.
It is quite unfortunate that key national stakeholders remain silent on the increasing blatant violations of the Liberian constitution and the dramatic erosion of governance under the Boakai Koung Unity Party Government.
Liberians are fast losing faith and trust in the legal system of the country. Widespread police brutality and abuse of power at various levels point to a serious breakdown in the governance system of Liberia.
This breakdown in the governance system of our country under the Boakai-Koung-Unity Party Government which led to the destruction of our multi-million-dollar properties at our National Headquarters speaks to the level of political intolerance currently existing under the Boakai-Koung Unity party Regime.
The war-like deployment of state security and the level of brutality and malice exhibited during the “EVICTION cum DEMOLITION/DESTRUCTION” clearly points to a creeping police state that must be resisted with every ounce of our energy.
LIBERIA CAN NEVER AND WILL NEVER REVERT TO A ONE-PARTY STATE.
The systematic attempts to clamp down on political freedom is a sad mistake reminiscent of Liberia’s dark past.
During the first Republic (1847-1980), Liberia pretended to have a democracy with serious violations of fundamental rights and poor governance. The Judiciary was seriously compromised, and political and civil liberties were limited. This led to serious disenfranchisement and disenchantment that fueled the 1980 bloody Coup d’etat that resulted to the murder of many government officials and ordinary citizens, a very sad and ugly past.
The military government metamorphosed into a civilian administration with serious allegations of Vote rigging in 1985 that led to the fourteen (14) years of bloodletting and massive destruction of the country.
Liberia cannot and will not be allowed to sink back into its dark past. We will stand tall and resolute and unbending in defending democracy. A creeping dictatorship will not be allowed to flourish.
Today is the CDC and its members, tomorrow could be you. Speak now before it is too late. We must unite to protect our 20 years of uninterrupted peace and democracy.
The deafening silence of conspiracy on the part of national stakeholders under the false pretext of rule of law is a sheer mockery of our collective struggle for progress.
We have continued to put the government on constructive notice on all the since violations and excesses for the last 18 months, but the government continues to dig its heels in flagrant violations of our constitution and laws.
We will continue to consult with democratic actors on next steps to hold the government accountable under our constitution and laws.
The current Unity Party government came to power in 2024 and began a systematic clamp down and violations of the laws of the country.
Here are some of the violations of the Boakai-Koung-Unity Party Administration since assuming power:
- February 2024 – Murder of unarmed protesters in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County
- February 2024- Illegal dismissal of trained EPS officers from the Executive Protection Service
- March 2024 – Dismissal of 700 contractors at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs
- Malicious prosecution of Hon. Samuel D. Tweah and Members of the National Security Council during the CDC government over national security expenditures
- May-July 2024 – The political motivated/political witch-hunting/targeted objection, personally by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., Sara Beysolow Nyanti & the Boakai-Koung Government to the appointment of Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr. as ECOWAS Resident Representative to Sierra Leone, in complete violation of the Liberian Constitution
- The illegal dismissal of civil servants at the Monrovia City Corporation for criticizing the government.
- June 26, 2024 – The besieging of the residence of Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr. from 3:00a.m. by at least two dozen of heavily armed officers of the Liberian National Police in a scaring and panicking manner and effected a malicious arrest and detention of Ambassador Kemayah. This is a brazen act of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s POLITICAL WITCHHUNT and VENDICTIVENESS being executed through frivolous charges and baseless allegations levied against Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr. related the political motivated allegations of mismanagement and diversion of some Saudi donated rice. This is PERSECUTION under the disguise of prosecution against Ambassador Kemayah ONLY AND ONLY BECAUSE OF HIS POLITICAL AFFILIATION/ASSOCIATION. What an unprovoked attack on the principles and tenets of Democracy?
- The massive harassment of commercial drivers and Motor Cyclists by the Liberia National Police .
- Illegal Dismissal of the Commissioners of the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA)
- Illegal Dismissal of the Central Bank Governor
- Illegal Dismissal of the Chairman of the Governance Commission
- Illegal Dismissal of Liberia Foreign Service Staff who were trained, appointed, commissioned and duly employed by the CDC led government
- The illegal dismissal of the Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NAFAA)
- Disregard of Supreme Court ruling on the Illegality of the Dismissals of Tenured Officers of the government of Liberia
- The malicious prosecution of Former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, Abu Bana Kamara, Dixon Seboe and other Liberians on the poorly investigated Capital Fire incident. The denial of bail and continuous detention of some of the defendants is a clear violation of the Liberian constitution which calls for affordable bail for persons who are accused but presumed innocent!
The issues we have highlighted are just a small glimpse into the chaos, abuses, and the real horrors that the Boakai-Koung Administration has unleashed. These violations are just a shadow of the much darker, more dangerous reality that Liberians face every single day.
It’s crystal clear that this Boakai-Koung regime is determined to turn our country into a breeding ground for lawlessness and fear. But listen up—this fight is about so much more than just the CDC. This is about the very survival of the democracy we have been yearning for in Liberia. If this reckless government can tear down our headquarters today, just think about what they might feel empowered to do to the rights, freedoms, and futures of our people tomorrow! They will try to crush those too!
As the largest opposition party in the country, we urge ECOWAS, the African Union, the U.S Government, the United Nations, and our international allies in Liberia to stop ignoring these atrocities before it’s too late.
Don’t wait until our peace is shattered and our people are once again plunged into despair. What we can promise you is that WE, as the CDC, will continue to resist—loudly, boldly, and peacefully. We will not bow to the tyrannical rule this government is trying to impose on us! We, as the CDC, will never surrender our country to dictatorship.
We stand in solidarity with the faculty and students of the University of Liberia who have been victimized by the insensitivity of Boakai-Koung regime. The neglect of the University of Liberia is a clear testament of the gross incompetence. The University of Liberia was closed for nearly one year in 2024 due to lack of funding by the U.P government. The current regime is clearly far adrift from the realities of issues facing the country.
While the suffering of the people increases daily, the government wallows in total disregard of its constitutional responsibility of looking after the masses of its people- THE GOVERNMENT IS A
TOTAL FAILURE IN UNDER TWO YEARS OF DISMAL STEWARDSHIP!
As a united front, the CDC remains steadfast, unbroken, and unafraid. As a party dedicated to lifting the masses from the depths of poverty, injustice, oppression, intimidation, exploitation, discrimination, political persecution, marginalization, and fear, we will fight to ensure that Liberia NEVER, EVER returns to the one-party rule of the past!!
Not today.
Not tomorrow.
Not EVER.
We will continue to consult with democratic actors on next steps to hold the government even more accountable under our constitution and laws.
Thank you very much and MAY GOD ALMIGHTY SAVE LIBERIA and its people during these difficult times!!
Atty. Janga A. Kowo
National Chairman
