As main opposition, All People’s Congress awaits a ruling on Peter Conteh’s case, questions about who will take the party to convention are rife. But answers are yet to be provided.
On numbers beyond count, the party has sat several times to identify who will be bold and neutral enough to usher a transition in the midst of Ernest Bai Koroma, Minkailu Mansaray and Foday Osman Yansaneh and the list goes on.
Former Attorney-General, Dr Abdulai Conteh has been tested recently to assess his capacity for an internal political transition, but age is no longer in his favour, and also not in tune with the politics of the times.
The litigant, Alfred Peter Conteh’s key demand is to see that the Ernest Koroma-led executive is dissolved, and a new executive takes over. Koroma is former President of Sierra Leone, and now APC’s Chairman and Leader, a post he has held over 20 years.
He Promised to step down after 2018 elections, but that never came to pass as he still holds the forte. His refusal to step down despite insistent and desperate calls to do so landed the party in court. A bright light is however seen at the end of the tunnel; Justice Fischer has assured the party of a ruling which will be handed down soon.
The ruling will definitely lead to the formation of an interim body that will take the party to convention. APC grassroot members as well as stalwarts scratch their heads about who will lead the interim body for the convention.
Political realities within and outside APC has shown that APC needs one who is fearless, neutral and courageous to stand up for justice in spite of whatever the prevailing circumstances. The leader of the interim body should not be one who takes sides with any candidate, and must not bear any political ambition.
He must not be influenced by any material or whatever gift or promise, but must act in the interest of the party without fear or favour. APC has seen first-hand how lack of neutrality could ruin a party lending credence to the saying that there will be no peace without justice.
Party members saw the instability that nearly wrecked the party when key members recently declared for another candidate. Anyone who wanted to hold the scales of justice with fairness should not favour or support any one candidate.
No matter how respectful a person is, he would be distrusted if he is seen to favour any one competitor over other competitors. An experienced member of the party (name withheld) has explained to this press how neutrality would help the party to fare on safe.
He said an international judge was petitioned by a defence lawyer not to form part of the panel that that will deliver justice in a famous case. The judge was found to be acting against the other side before the case came up.
That Judge, according to the APC member, was Justice Geoffrey Robertson, Former President of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. The Judge who had come to preside as President was petitioned by one of the defence counsels representing the Revolutionary United Front for writing a book titled: ‘Dogs of War,’ against the RUF.
Since the whole business of delivering justice is about neutrality, the judge had no alternative, but to save his name through resignation. “Robertson was replaced by Gelaga King,” the APC politician told this press.
He also went on to explain that APC’s future interim body is not going to deliver justice, but social justice. This difficult but noble work calls for integrity, self-respect and love for party.
Those who possess those qualities are in the party although they may be outside the country, but that does not matter; it is the truth that matters. The call for a neutral person to lead the interim body is highly relevant in that APC would not like to repeat the mistake of the past.
The party recently witnessed how key personalities influenced the 21-man committee from behind the scenes to partially comply with a court directive handed down in August, last year. The 21-man committee was ordered by the court to conduct elections in 132 constituencies, adopt the reviewed 1995 constitution and address membership issues.
The order which was a condition for an out-of-court settlement of Conteh’s case was not fully complied with. Elections for delegates were conducted in only 125 constituencies leaving out seven. No membership issue was addressed leaving the plaintiff with no option but to come back to court.
Plaintiff’s counsel, Santigie Sesay invoked powers of the court to look into the extent to which the ad hoc committee flouted court orders, an issue that has been professionally handled by the presiding judge.
APC, many say, has come a long way in holding its head in checking excesses of the ruling SLPP. Sierra Leoneans have seen how the party reacted to resisted depoliticisation of local councils, the enactment and imposition of the cyber-security law, the implementation of the census and many other political activities deemed inimical to the state and APC.
These achievements are no mean feat, and cannot work if the party does not hold itself together, and act in unison. Despite these achievements, the party is still at crossroads. Vaulting political ambitions are tearing a once-beautiful party apart.
Too many aspirants running for the party’s flag is not just too bad, but how losers would come back to support the victor in the interest of the party is what makes politics, politics.
Those who will contest for the party’s flag were made public during a conference for the adoption of the reviewed constitution in Makeni the previous year.
According to the former President, all of them call him daily, a move that shows the extent to which they are ready to fight for the flag-bearership. Former President Koroma has been playing a father-figure role in the APC. The former President always readily responds to the demands of his comrades anytime they are made.
When the National Reformation Movement (NRM), an offshoot of APC demanded the expulsion of the ‘selection clause’ as well as other clauses in the constitution, Ernest Bai Koroma readily accepted those demands in the party’s interest.
The acceptance led to the withdrawal of a case filed by NRM seeking an injunction to restrain the party from embarking on any other activity until they see in the constitution, what they wanted to see.
As the party was reeling of the toxic effect of the NRM case, Conteh’s suit came up.
After months of hearings, he pointed out his demands for a compromise. Former President Koroma also created a level playing field for the party to come together so that Conteh’s right can be respected.
The former President has already promised to step down so that an interim body could take charge. He has announced that by May, APC would have had the required leadership that would take the party to the 2023 elections. The promise left many Sierra Leoneans especially APC members in speechless admiration owing to conspiracy beliefs that the former President would not step down since he has been made Chairman and Leader for life.
The promise to step down marks a fundamental turning point for the APC; the ball is now in the court of the young generation, and the sky is the limit. The former President has played his own part and will soon depart.
He would be there to provide guidance if needed to do so. The former President advised all to accept and support whoever emerges as flag-bearer as power comes from God. On several occasions, former President Koroma has repeatedly called on APC not to be divided because one’s favoured candidate does not make it in the convention.
APC Supporters wait and see for the one who comes out as time flies. Time is one of the greatest enemies of man; it waits for no man. The early bird catches the warm and he fails to plan plans to fail. It is also said procrastination is a thief of time, and most times delays are dangerous. One should not wait at the eleventh hour, and should also not wait to fatten a pig on the market day, it will be too late.
SLPP is far gone, what about APC?
APC will come out strong if the right man is chosen to lead the interim body. Without trust, nothing works.