There was a great deal of jubilation in all APC social media fora when it was announced that Lazarus Chakwera of the opposition leader in Malawi has won the Presidential re-run elections with 58.57 of the total votes cast.
The opposition leader has beaten the incumbent, Peter Mutharika whose victory in May, 2019 elections was overturned by the constitutional court of Malawi.
APC supporters have quickly hinted that Peter Mutharika of Malawi had joined the one-term club of former Presidents and that President Bio of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party was next in line to join the club come 2023.
Many in the APC are making these insinuations failing to understand what the opposition in Malawi had got right to show Peter Mutharika the incumbent President exit door.
The APC supporters are also blinded not to understand that they do not have the type of firebrand executive that the Malawian opposition had to effectively counter the ruling party and collaborate with other opposition players.
The current executive of the APC cannot even squarely handle the internal squabbles of the party. They have failed to protect their democratically elected Mayor in their opposition stronghold of Freetown against an unnecessary bullying by the central government.
The Malawian opposition got it right also because the country has unshakeable institutions, a steady court system which Sierra Leone lacks all together.
As we speak, the case brought forward by Dr Sylvia Blyden and Samura Kamara challenging the March, 2018 Parliamentary and Presidential elections is still pending in court.
Other matters brought by other opposition groups are also being treated the same by the courts.
The APC and the SLPP have always manipulated the judiciary to satisfy their selfish ends whenever they are in power.
The manipulation of the Judiciary by these two parties when any of them is in power always hunts them when they are in opposition.
Another point which the APC probably needs to capture State House like the opposition in Malawi did is to rally behind the other political parties to bout the ruling party out of power.
The current development at the House of Parliament is not sending the correct signals that such would be possible.
It is becoming clearer that the APC is losing all major votes in Parliament to the ruling SLPP.
It is against all of these odds that the APC should not blindly celebrate the Malawi opposition victory thinking that it is the same way victory in the 2023 elections would be presented to them in a silver platter.
They have to work together with the other political parties and also settle the internal squabbles of the party.
They should not underrate the youthful, young and energetic National Reformation Movement which dealt the APC a heavy blow some months ago and still have a case at the high court to settle with the leadership of the party.
Amidst these problems, senior figures of the party are confronted with serious cases and also await the outcome of a dreadful ‘White Paper’ from the Commissions of Inquiry.
If reports to go by are true, it is speculated that top figures from the APC would be banned from active politics and also have their properties seized.
No doubt, these factors, would heavily weigh on the chances of the party to bounce back to State House.
Don’t celebrate like the opposition in Malawi. Do your homework now.