The Chairman and Leader of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Dr. Alex Prince Harding, has stated in an interview with SLBC’s Morning Coffee that removing him now from the Sierra Leone People’s Party is suicidal.
The embattled Chairman accused the All People’s Congress for machinating the current troubles in his party, noting that no true SLPP party supporter would want him out at this crucial time when the party needs to consolidate its grip on power and win the 2023 elections.
“It is only the APC that want me out at this time because they know am the only strategist that would continue to keep them in opposition,” Mr. Harding said.
It will be recalled that the past few months have seen tensions within the Sierra Leone People’s Party, as the Organising Secretary for the Party, Bai Songa, has declared his intentions to run for the position of Chairman and leader.
There have been reports of violence between the Prince Harding and Bai Songa factions in Kailahun during the President Thank You Tour, where supporters of both clashed.
The SLPP executive is believed to have split between the Bai Songa and Prince Harding factions and that the youths who have accused Prince Harding and his executive of abandoning the at the party office are largely in support of Bai Songa as the next Chairman and Leader.
The violence repeated again on Saturday 16 February when the party summoned a National Executive Council meeting at the party headquarters in Freetown. Youths reportedly supporting Bai Songa were chanting slogans that Prince Harding must go and this later resulted into clashes.
Dr. Alex Prince Harding however cunningly dispelled such rumours during the interview and noted that he and his executives will not add a day to their tenure in office and that party supporters are open to contest for all positions within the party.
He took his time to dilate on the party positions on several governance issues, such matters such as the ongoing Commissions of Enquiry, current programs and actions and the contentious issue of him abandoning the youths at the party office for a government job.
The Chairman and Leader urged all contestants for positions in the September delegates’ conference to keep cool and portray the party’s interest. He noted that NEC will reconvene at a later date and the party will make its position known on most governance issues.