By Emmanuel Christian Thorli
As the leadership melodrama continues unfolding in the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party, not much is being said about who will lead the party for the 2028 Presidential Election.
Despite the on-going dialogue process by Dr. Samura Kamara, the current Leader and Flagbearer of the APC aimed at ensuring that electoral justice is delivered to the APC, there are calls from certain segments of the party and executive for the old executive under Dr. Kamara to step aside and allow the party to focus on electing a new executive to steer the party’s affairs going forward. The recent call by the party’s executive to start membership registration for future elections while Dr. Samura Kamara and his supporters simultaneously seek electoral justice has darkened the need for a leadership that is expected serve as the next APC flagbearer and leader of the party.
As one of the oldest political parties in Africa, the APC is an institution and a government-in-waiting whose human resources capability and capacity can never be questioned or put to a test. Just as in the event following Alpha Khan’s cross-carpeting to SLPP as their Presidential Spokesperson, it was stated that the APC can fill in thousands of the likes of Alpha Khan if the need be.
For a long time in Sierra Leone, the idea of an opposition leader has been viewed through narrow lenses. But in the ever evolving world of governance and party politics, the present state of affairs calls for a leader that is not cut from the same fabric as erstwhile party leaders, who tend to shift paradigms from what we have come to expect from a party leader.
In this age when leaders are expected to be accountable for their administration of the state coupled with a highly informed society, there is the expectation that the next APC leader after Dr. Samura Kamara will change the way we view an opposition leader and flagbearer. For him or her to take the party to State House, there will have to be a definite switch from the old goal post.
At present, several names have popped up including but not limited to, Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah, Dr. Richard Conteh, Chief Samuel Sam Sumana, Alimamy Petito Koroma, Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Dr. Kaifala Marah, etc. For a very long time, opposition leaders have been quiet and rarely heard from, except on rare occasions. Despite atrocious plans and actions by the ruling party government and the President, opposition leaders have been very quiet, failing to inform the public on how such plans and actions from the government are detrimental to the people and state hence on benefit to the leader and party government.
Aggrieved members of the APC executive and grassroots have said that they expect the next APC flagbearer to be outspoken and always on hand to challenge and expose policy decisions of the ruling party government and its excesses, and to articulate what they would do different in their administration of the state.
There is a respect among politicians that is akin to tacit approval of the actions and plans of the-government-of-the-day much against the general interest of the people and state and that is, silence.
“As citizens, it is our obligation and duty to have utmost respect for the Presidency even if it is from the opposition party. But respect for the President should not be mistaken or confused with allowing him or her to take actions and propose plans that will not be of any significant benefit to the generality of the people and state. Therefore, going into 2028, the APC needs a leader that will be bold to expose public sector administrative flaws and inform the people accordingly. Our flagbearer should not be a respecter of anybody to the extent that he or she will fail to address matters of concern, even if it meant calling the President by name. But, much to our disappointment, past APC flagbearers have been too respectful of the President in to the extent of literally allowing him get away with plans and actions that negatively impacted on the welfare of the people and our nascent democratic credential as a nation. This will have to change,” a concerned APC stalwart stated.
This time round, the party should embrace itself as a collective aspiration, to elect a fearless leader and flagbearer who will advocate for the rights and privileges of the vulnerable in society and to stand up to the violations and abuse of power especially that which may be directed against the APC and its members. The leader should be bold enough to openly challenge the ruling party government and President on issues of human rights, the rule of law, bad governance and everything humanly open to justice in the name of the people of Sierra Leone.
The global village that we call the world is changing and the people are demanding for leadership that can stand the tests of time and that is not only heard but seen. For a long time, party leaders have been in a vacuum where they were inaccessible to the people and the media. The APC must ensure the next flagbearer and party leader should have regular contacts with the grassroots and must be a friend of the media.
“We expect of him or her to know the people he or she leads. We don’t want a leader that will always be in cars, helicopters and airplanes, but one that is always on the road and just a phone call away from people and the media. He or she must never shy away from getting to know how the people are flaring and directing media practitioners to his communications people. In this vein, we expect the next APC flagbearer after Dr Samura Kamara, to be grounded in the issues that are of importance to the success of the country for the benefit of the people. He should be able to articulate well in simple language the grassroots can understand. There is a manner of speech that is suited for the environment: If you are speaking among peers then there is a certain way to communicate your message; if you speaking among people that are not that educated, you need to tailor your message to their level of understanding,” a woman APC supporter posited.
Politics remains a volatile affair in developing countries and politically sponsored violence an accompanying menace. In Sierra Leone state security people have always stated that they work for the government of the day. This has put our security forces under the control of the executive and others high up on the ruling party hierarchy who are known for circumventing the rule of law by passing orders from above.
It must be recalled that at a press conference at the APC headquarters at Brookfields where Dr. Samura Kamara was supposed to address the elections result in the presence of the media, the Mayor of Freetown, members of the international community, exuberant police personnel opened fire with live ammunition and tear gas canisters aimed at suffocating the people inside the party building, resulting in the deaths of a certain White Boy and old Nurse lady.
“Our politics can be dangerous and can even be deadly. Dr Samura Kamara survived an assassination attempt when his convoy was attacked by security personnel at the Mile 38 Checkpoint apparently on the orders of some hidden face within the government’s circle. That said, we expect our next flagbearer to have a tight security set up. He or she should have a committed and fearless security team that is capable of repelling any acts or attempts of aggression against his or her person. An outspoken leader that is reachable and approachable, that is able to articulate, expose and challenge the ruling party government and its leader will definitely be under constant surveillance from the government,” a youth member of noted the APC observed.
In an attempt to derail the opposition party’s campaign and in an effort to distract the flagbearer, the ruling party government is has surreptitiously captured almost all the arms of government that are supposed to be independent including the judiciary to cook up charges of incitement, corruption and others against an APC flagbearer with the hope that his or her focus would be diverted to focus on those allegations in the court of law or at police stations. The next APC flagbearer, according to the grassroots members should be prepared to undergo such mistreatments even if it will cost being put in cell or charged to court.
“In Sierra Leone it is almost routine and expected for opposition political leaders to find themselves in court or police cells on trumped up charges. For this reason, our flagbearer should not have anything to hide that the regime can use against him or her; we expect for him or her to have a clean public administration record. Regardless, the flagbearer of the party after Dr Samura Kamara should not be afraid of spending some time in jail based on orders from above. This is one political harassment that he or she should not shy away from,” according to many party grassroots members.
As the APC executive and party plan ahead, the race for the flagbearer to replace Dr. Samura Kamara has been going on behind the scenes with many household names including female partisans with the requisite training and administrative experience secretly courting district, ward, council and constituency leaders on familiarity visits to such people in their various localities.
“Finally, the APC has not been unified since 2018. The party is in factions headed by certain people that seem to be fighting against each other. The party desperately needs a unifying force, a leader that will unite all the clashing factions. As the whole nation, regardless of where you are from and the party you support, has been suffering under president Bio’s leadership we will need a flagbearer that can convince disappointed SLPP members to cross over to the APC. The real description of the next flagbearer after Dr Samura Kamara is someone who is a fearless, outspoken, caring and articulate reconciler,” a prospective youth intending to be a registered APC member maintained. Lonta!