The All People’s Congress (APC) has released a comprehensive report challenging the outcome of Sierra Leone’s June 24, 2023 presidential election, insisting that its candidate, Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, was the rightful winner.
The party’s findings directly contradict the official results announced by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), which declared incumbent President Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) the victor.
According to the ECSL, President Bio secured a second term after surpassing the 55 percent threshold required for a first round victory.
However, the APC describes this outcome as an “electoral coup,” claiming that widespread irregularities and deliberate manipulation robbed the people of their democratic will.
Independent APC Tally:
At the heart of the APC’s case is its independent tallying of Results and Reconciliation Forms (RRFs). The party reported that it successfully collected and analyzed data from 8,303 polling stations, representing 70.17 percent of the total 11,832 polling stations nationwide.
The RRFs, signed by ECSL officials and party agents, including those from the SLPP, were collated by the APC’s technical team. Based on this analysis, the APC concluded that Dr. Samura Kamara won with 57.15 percent of the vote, while President Bio secured 39.8 percent.
“This clearly shows that our candidate won outright in the first round,” the report states, “and that the figures announced by ECSL do not reflect the true will of Sierra Leoneans.”
Allegations of Irregularities, the APC’s report accuses the ECSL of presiding over what it calls the most flawed election in Sierra Leone’s post war history. The alleged irregularities including over voting in multiple districts, where the number of ballots cast exceeded the number of registered voters, inflated turnout in SLPP strongholds, with suspiciously high voter participation compared to historical patterns.
Manipulation of invalid votes, reducing them to an implausibly low 0.39 percent, compared to between 4.5 and 7 percent in past elections and refusal to publish polling station level results, which the party argues is a violation of the Public Elections Act and a deliberate attempt to hide discrepancies.
The report also highlights what it describes as “mathematical improbabilities” in the official results. In some districts, voter averages exceeded 300 per polling station, the maximum allowed. In others, turnout figures dropped drastically between the ECSL’s partial (60 percent) announcement and the final tally, raising suspicions of manipulation.
Criticism of Census and Voter Registration:
Beyond election-day irregularities, the APC points to structural issues that it says tilted the playing field in favor of the ruling party.
The 2021 mid-term census, which the opposition boycotted, is described in the report as a “rogue census” designed to reduce political representation in APC strongholds in the North and West while boosting seats in the SLPP dominated South and East.
The census results, according to the APC, were later used to allocate parliamentary and council seats unfairly.
Similarly, the party alleges that the 2022 voter registration exercise was marred by obstruction, intimidation, and denial of registration in opposition areas.
Meanwhile, registration in SLPP strongholds was reportedly conducted smoothly, even extending across borders into Guinea and Liberia.
The APC also criticized the quality of voter identification cards issued in 2023, citing blurred photos, missing details, and incomplete information as part of what it described as a pattern of mismanagement by the ECSL.
Observer missions raised concerns; the APC’s claims are not made in isolation. Several international and domestic observer groups also questioned the credibility of the 2023 election results.
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM), the Carter Center, and Sierra Leone’s own National Elections Watch (NEW) all cited serious transparency failures.
NEW’s Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT), which independently projected results, revealed inconsistencies with the ECSL’s figures and placed invalid votes at around 5 percent far higher than the commission reported.
The Carter Center and EU missions also criticized the ECSL’s refusal to release disaggregated polling station results, warning that the credibility of the process was undermined.
Recommendations and demands, in light of what it describes as systemic electoral malpractice, the APC is calling for sweeping reforms. Key among its recommendations include: the immediate resignation or removal of the ECSL leadership, including the Chief Electoral Commissioner, regional commissioners, and senior staff responsible for the 2023 elections., a parliamentary process to strip ECSL commissioners of constitutional protection if they refuse to step down.
Establishment of a tribunal to investigate alleged wrongdoings, with prosecutions for those found culpable.
Appointment of an interim caretaker team, potentially with experts seconded from ECOWAS, to oversee electoral reforms and rebuild public confidence and ensure reforms to ensure greater transparency, including mandatory publication of polling station level results, strict tallying procedures at district and regional levels, and stronger penalties for noncompliance.
The report also calls for the removal of senior management at the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), and Statistics Sierra Leone (SSL), accusing them of undermining the credibility of the electoral process through mismanagement and political bias.
APC’s Final Position, the APC concludes that the 2023 election was not free, fair, or credible, insisting that Dr. Samura Kamara should be recognized as the rightful winner.
“The evidence from our Results and Reconciliation Forms is clear. The people of Sierra Leone voted for change. What happened instead was an electoral coup that robbed them of their democratic choice.” the report declares.
The party argues that without urgent reforms, Sierra Leone’s democracy faces a crisis of legitimacy, warning that continued mistrust in electoral institutions could destabilize the country and erode public faith in democratic governance.
Looking at political implications, the APC’s report is expected to further intensify political tensions in Sierra Leone. While the government maintains that the ECSL’s results are final, the opposition’s rejection of the outcome adds weight to ongoing calls for electoral reform.
The release of the report also comes amid a fragile climate, following the signing of the October 2023 Agreement for National Unity between the APC and the ruling SLPP. Critics argue that little progress has been made under that agreement, and the APC’s latest position could test the durability of the fragile political truce.
For many observers, the dispute underscores a recurring challenge in Sierra Leone’s democracy, ensuring that elections are not only peaceful but also credible, transparent, and trusted by all sides.
In a nutshell, the APC’s 2023 Presidential Election Report paints a damning picture of Sierra Leone’s electoral process, alleging systematic fraud, manipulation, and failure of institutions tasked with safeguarding democracy. While the ECSL has stood by its results, the opposition’s insistence that Samura Kamara won outright raises fundamental questions about legitimacy.
As the dust settles, Sierra Leone’s path forward may depend on whether its leaders can address the concerns raised, implement meaningful reforms, and rebuild trust in the nation’s electoral system. Without such steps, the risk of further political instability looms large.