Although hope is being restored for the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC), vaulting power ambitions among the top ranks may derail gains made.

Those who should be seen supporting the opposition leader, Samura Kamara in his bid for electoral justice are now eyeing the party’s flag more than the flagbearer himself.

If properly understood, electoral justice is a conscious effort by local and international election stakeholders to establish the winner of June 24, 2023 elections and hold accountable those who allegedly rig the elections.

That is why, the flag-bearer, Dr. Samura Kamara often says “it is not yet over, until it is over.” In his recent speech to APC members and the people of Sierra Leone, he mobilized their support for “electoral justice.” However, the appeal seems to have fallen into deaf ears.

At the moment, over 10 senior APC officials have made their intentions for the flagbearership known by the party’s rank and file.

The likes of Ady Macauley, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, Chernor Maju Ramadan Bah, Dr. Kaifala Marah, Alimamy Petito Kamara, Mohamed Ormodu Kamara, Dr. Ibrahim Bangura, Bai Mahmoud Bangura, Yvonne Aki Sawyer and others have declared for the party’s flag at the climax of a tense fight for electoral justice relentlessly pursued by the 2023 flag-bearer, Dr Samura Kamara.

Many of these now vying for the party’s flag were initially very close with Samura Kamara, a situation that has plunged the campaign for electoral justice into shambles and rendering the campaign meaningless and fruitless.

APC’s long-standing lawyer, Ady Macauley is the lead defence counsel for Samura Kamara’s ongoing corruption trial at the High Court of Sierra Leone. Kamara, who many see as an icon of hope and honesty, was arraigned with others for alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the renovation of Sierra Leone’s Chancery building in the United States and deceiving Principal.

 Throughout the trial, Macauley was with him vigorously rendering his legal services. But, as the fight for electoral justice becomes intense and almost at the breaking point, the lead defence counsel seems to have backed out, a move that sparked discussions and debates among the public.

The legal luminary takes his own way at a critical moment as the people of Sierra Leone expects him to stand with Samura Kamara till the end.

But, it seems as if there would be no turning back for the young lawyer who has reached several communities in Freetown with donations of food and money making his flag-bearer stance clear to them according to media reports.

 Instead of remaining on the defence, he now intends to take the driving seat even when it is clear that the chance is slim for a typical Krio, born and bred in Freetown to get the flag of Sierra Leone’s two main political parties-APC (All People’s Congress) and SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party). The party of the Krios, the NCSL (National Council of Sierra Leone) led by Dr. Bankole Bright in the decades had long gone just few years after its formation.

Along the line of critics to the electoral justice struggle is Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara who, media reports have also portrayed as another potential flag-bearer aspirant for a purported 2028 elections although APC’s Chairman, Minkailu Mansaray says 2026.

Joseph Kamara is former ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission) boss and Attorney-General in the government of erstwhile President, Ernest Bai Koroma, and played a central role in the defence of the former President at the defunct commissions of inquiry that probed the financial dealings of the past government.

 The party also tapped his legal expertise when the Proportional Representation system of elections was initiated by government instead of the legally and widely accepted constituency-based system.

Kamara teamed up with one of Africa’s well respected lawyers, Dr. Abdulai Osman Conteh to stage fierce legal battle although the verdict was not in their favour.

 The long-standing lawyer also surfaced in most of APC’s endless cases in court, and therefore widely expected by the grassroot to stand with Samura in the pursuit of justice for the 2023 elections.

However, he has shown to be a frail reel to lean on in the current APC struggle. Although Kamara would take the pride and hope for victory since he is a man from the provinces, but fortune would likely not smile at him since the grassroot need one who fights to bring back their votes.

Another top-rank official who seems to have run away from the electoral justice campaign is the running mate, Deputy Leader of the party and potential Vice President, Chernor Maju Ramadan Bah.

The party’s second gentleman was with Dr. Samura during the heat of the day and the cold of night during campaigns, but suddenly went his way few months ago.

Like several others who have left Samura Kamara, it is extremely difficult for Chernor Bah to make it in his bid for the flag.

He is a man who, many say, his parents hails from neighbouring Guinea but and born in Freetown here.

Suffice it to say that his popularity is felt largely in Freetown as he lacks a common touch with the local grassroots upcountry.

His recent campaign trails in the provinces during June elections are not enough for the upcountry men to see him as one of their own. Allegations of disloyalty to the party will also badly weigh him down especially when he failed to hit SLPP hard when he was the minority leader in Parliament. Similarly, Chernor Maju Bah was also accused of boycotting an ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) parliamentary summit in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city where APC’s concerns for a free and fair June 24, 2023 elections could have been addressed.

No reason for the boycott was advanced thus leaving many APC members to think deeply and differently about him. Many said his erratic action at ECOWAS meeting was a deciding factor for the party’s miseries today especially when the people look back at Liberia’s election.

Liberia’s democracy was saved when opposition leaders made a strong case at ECOWAS that a rigged election will lead to protest and instability in the post-war country. The opposition’s appeal were not treated with a pinch of salt by the ECOWAS authorities since Liberia had a history of two brutal  wars in the late 1980s and early 90s with a spillover effect to Sierra Leone.

Consequently, the sub-regional bloc took a proactive role to prevent another flame in the tiny West African state when it deployed its officials to ensure a honest and credible electoral process.

It is argued that Sierra Leoneans would have seen similar situation if the then Minority Leader in Parliament takes the same steps. The running mate’s seeming disloyal actions also came under the spotlight when he failed to take active part in the October 18, 2023 peace deal brokered by the International community between APC and the government in respect of the post-election stalemate. As a trained and experienced lawyer, such platform belongs to him especially when President Julius Maada Bio was represented by his Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh. Such alleged murky tricks displayed by APC’s running mate may lead to public bashing by the grassroot who see Samura Kamara as their only hope for the future.

Tricks akin to Chernor Bah’s are seen in the once-honoured APC hardliner, Alimamy Petito Koroma who is muted in several corners to have developed an ambition for the party’s flag.

If his intention is endorsed, Petito would like to see the election held in 2028 caring little about the suffering of the masses. He was among those chosen to serve in the defunct Tripartite Committee, a body set up to look into alleged irregularities of June 23, 2024 elections and make recommendations to government.

But, it appears as if the one-time loyal soldier has lost confidence in the electoral justice project and thinks it prudent to abandon Dr Samura Kamara.

The list of breakaways is still endless as APC’s most philanthropic politician, Mohamed Ormodu Kamara aka ‘Money Jagaban’ is also going his way. He is vigorously canvassing APC’s top ranks to offer him the party’s flag for the 2028 elections. Ormodu’s sudden appearance in the APC is phenomenal coming at a time the party was struggling to retrieve its alleged stolen victory after June polls.

He spared no money to take care of APC’s parliamentarians, mayors, chairmen and councillors when they boycotted governance in resistance to the alleged stolen votes.

Frequent rice donations he made to his party comrades is also still being remembered today, but, he too, like others has deserted Samura Kamara in the wilderness leaving waves of speculations and imaginations about his latest decision and what would be his next step.

For other party members, Ormodu’s action is not a surprise since he hails from the Eastern region although he is Northerner, a typical Themne, but the grassroot will not buy him.

Although she is yet to come out clear, the city mother, Yvonne Aki Sawyer is also being portrayed by the media as one who fervently supports elections in 2028.

Initially, she used to pick bones with the ruling party thus landing her in the dock of a magistrate court in Freetown for criminal charges. Her Councilor was arrested at Lungi International Airport while en route to New York for a UN summit. In similar style, police once attempted to rope in the city mother for alleged corruption offences, a situation that provoked debates that the Mayor will no longer be at peace with the ruling class.

But, they were taken aback when video images on social media platforms showed the Mayor dancing in the US with some artists linked to SLPP supporting the ruling party in their bid to get the MCC (Millennium Challenge Corporation) fund amounting $480m. But, despite her ecstatic betrayal of the electoral justice campaign, she is sure to be snubbed by the grassroot when the time comes.

What about the two Banguras-Bai Mahmoud Bangura and Dr Ibrahim Bangura who are criss-crossing the country bidding for the party’s flag. Will they succeed? The answer seems to be in the negative.

In all these struggles, a big giant outside the country is alleged to be working from behind the scenes to dismantle APC by inciting feud among its top ranks so that they cannot to see eye to eye about issues affecting the party.

More troubles lie ahead as APC’s failure to bring back stolen votes will lead to its disintegration and death.