Since the All People’s Congress (APC) party lost power to the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in 2018, many Sierra Leoneans hoped that the nation’s leading opposition force would reorganize, re-strategize, and present itself as a credible alternative to the SLPP’s leadership. Instead, what has unfolded over the past years is a masterclass in political inertia, self-interest, and alarming silence on national issues. The APC, a party that once held power for over a decade, has failed spectacularly to rise to the occasion in opposition. They have done little to address the pressing concerns of Sierra Leoneans, choosing instead to focus on internal battles, survival politics, and preparing a return to power in 2028 — not with ideas or vision, but with the same old politics of looting, patronage, and opportunism.
A Dormant Opposition in Times of Crisis:
When the SLPP assumed power in 2018, they inherited a country with widespread economic stagnation and a fragile democracy. Unfortunately, President Bio’s administration has since led Sierra Leone down a path of deeper poverty, corruption, and authoritarian tendencies. This political vacuum presented an opportunity for the APC to rise as a voice for the voiceless, to challenge wrong policies, to protect civil liberties, and to articulate a national rescue plan. But the APC was absent.
During moments of national turmoil — from the rising cost of living to the draconian responses to public protests — the APC either whispered from the sidelines or remained entirely silent. The party has not built any serious policy think tank, issued regular policy alternatives, nor shown intellectual or moral leadership. Instead, it has been obsessed with personality cults and factionalism, failing to provide the vigilant oversight that any responsible opposition owes to a suffering population.
Internal Division and Power Struggles:
One of the major reasons for the APC’s impotence in opposition is its deeply entrenched internal disunity. Since losing power, the party has been plagued by factional struggles over leadership and flagbearership. Rather than rebuild the party into a modern, inclusive, and democratic institution, the APC has become a battleground for egos, old guards, and the politically desperate.
These internal wranglings have consumed the party’s energy and focus. Time that should have been spent formulating strategies to counter the SLPP’s poor governance has instead been wasted in legal disputes, suspension battles, and endless backroom negotiations. The grassroots supporters of the party, especially in the north and western regions, have been left disillusioned and unrepresented.
Most tragically, many of the APC’s rising voices — those with fresh ideas and genuine grassroots support — have been sidelined or silenced by the same powerbrokers who presided over the party’s downfall in 2018. Instead of embracing change, the APC has clung to nostalgia, believing that past glories will guarantee future victories.
No Clear Policy Agenda or Alternative Vision:
The APC’s years in opposition have been devoid of any clear ideological or policy blueprint for the country. What has the party proposed to address food insecurity, rising inflation, youth unemployment, or health system collapse? Where are their shadow ministers? Where are the nationwide consultations with citizens? Where is the engagement with civil society or the push for electoral reforms?
Rather than being seen as a government-in-waiting, the APC appears to be simply waiting — waiting for SLPP’s failures to become so catastrophic that voters, out of desperation, will turn to them by default. That is not leadership; it is laziness and opportunism. And it exposes the party’s lack of genuine commitment to the wellbeing of the people.
Financial Desperation and Hidden Agendas:
It is no secret that many APC stalwarts are now financially strained and politically irrelevant. After years of enjoying the spoils of power, many of them have found it difficult to adjust to the discipline and humility that effective opposition demands. Some have quietly aligned with SLPP insiders to protect their business interests or past misdeeds, while others are biding time until 2028 — not to serve, but to once again exploit.
The desperation among some APC elites is so palpable that their political activism is driven more by personal redemption than by public service. They are not campaigning for reforms; they are campaigning for a return to state coffers. In truth, their political calculations are less about fixing Sierra Leone and more about fixing their own financial realities.
This is why many Sierra Leoneans rightly fear that an APC return to power in 2028 could simply mirror the current SLPP debacle — only with different faces but the same corrupt systems, the same neglect of the masses, and the same elite-driven politics.
Absence from the Streets and Communities:
True opposition is not just about grandstanding in press conferences or issuing social media statements. It is about being present in the lives of ordinary citizens — visiting hospitals, engaging youth groups, speaking in communities, and standing with the oppressed. The APC has largely failed in this regard. Most of its top brass have remained tucked away in their homes or overseas, disconnected from the real Sierra Leone.
When nurses protested poor salaries, the APC was absent. When teachers decried working conditions, the APC was silent. When traders cried over inflation and police brutality, APC leadership did not show up. In essence, the party has failed to build credibility as a people-centered opposition movement. And that failure has cost them public trust.
No Reconciliation with the Past:
Another glaring deficiency is the APC’s refusal to properly reconcile with its own past failures while in office. The Koroma-led APC government, despite some infrastructure achievements, was widely accused of institutionalized corruption, neglect of key sectors, and disrespect for constitutional order. Yet, since moving into opposition, the party has shown little remorse or intention to reform itself.
Without accountability for past misdeeds and a bold break from the old ways, the APC cannot claim the moral right to criticize the SLPP. It cannot demand transparency while remaining silent on its own past abuses. It cannot advocate for good governance while fielding candidates with questionable records. Sierra Leoneans are tired of recycled excuses and recycled politicians.
The APC Must Earn Its Comeback—Not Inherit It:
The current political climate in Sierra Leone is bleak. The SLPP, under President Bio, has failed to fulfill its promises, and the country is sliding deeper into economic despair and political repression. But the alternative must be better — not just different. The APC cannot rely on SLPP’s unpopularity to ride back into power. It must earn it through vision, courage, and humility.
If the APC truly cares about the people of Sierra Leone, now is the time to act: unite its factions, empower new voices, apologize for past failures, develop clear policies, and genuinely reconnect with the people. Otherwise, 2028 will be nothing more than a reshuffling of the same corrupt elite — a game of chairs between green and red, while the masses continue to suffer.
The people of Sierra Leone deserve more than empty promises and power-hungry politicians. They deserve leadership. The APC must prove it is ready to lead, not loot. If it fails again, history — and the people — will not be kind.