By Janet A. Sesay
The conclusion of the first phase of the All People’s Congress (APC) district elections has brought renewed attention to the grassroots political organisation surrounding APC flagbearer aspirant, Sheikh Alhaji Mohamed Omodu Kamara, popularly known as MOK Jagaban.
Nine districts participated in the first phase of the party’s internal elections, with candidates associated with Jagaban’s political network securing positions in several of the districts that went to the polls.
Although the APC’s internal electoral process remains ongoing, the results have prompted discussion about the extent to which Jagaban’s political network has developed at district and constituency levels.
Unlike national political events, internal district elections place considerable emphasis on grassroots organisation, relationships with delegates, coordination and mobilisation within local party structures.
For Jagaban, whose political activities have extended across several parts of Sierra Leone in recent months, the first phase of the elections has provided an opportunity to demonstrate whether his visibility and engagement with party members can translate into organised participation within the APC’s internal structures.
FROM VISIBILITY TO ORGANISATION
Jagaban has emerged as one of the prominent figures seeking the APC flagbearership for the 2028 presidential election.
His political activities have included engagements with party members, constituency stakeholders, community leaders, young people, women and grassroots supporters.
However, political visibility and grassroots organisations are distinct elements of political activity.
Large gatherings and public engagements can demonstrate visibility, while internal party elections provide a different test by requiring coordination at constituency and district levels and the ability to work within established party structures.
The performance of candidates associated with Jagaban during the first phase has therefore drawn attention to the organisational network developing around his political ambitions.
A NETWORK BUILT AROUND TEAMWORK
The emerging political structure around Jagaban extends beyond the aspirant himself.
It includes regional, district and constituency actors, youth organisers, women, community stakeholders and other supporters operating at different levels of the party.
The district election results consequently provide an indication not only of Jagaban’s personal political profile but also of the effectiveness of the network supporting his candidacy.
For an aspirant seeking national leadership of a political party, geographical reach and organisational coordination are significant elements of an internal campaign.
Strength demonstrated across multiple districts can provide a broader picture of a political network than support concentrated in a single locality.
The remaining phases of the APC’s internal electoral process are therefore expected to provide further indications of the extent and geographical reach of the various political networks competing for influence within the party.
THE QUIET WORK OF GRASSROOTS POLITICS
The district elections have also highlighted the importance of political organisations that often receive less public attention.
Rallies, speeches and social-media activity are highly visible aspects of modern political campaigns.
Internal elections, however, place greater emphasis on relationships within party structures, communication between campaign teams and engagement with delegates and local stakeholders.
They also test whether political support can be organised into participation within the party’s formal electoral process.
In this regard, the first phase of the APC district elections has brought greater public attention to the organisational work being undertaken by the different political camps within the party, including those associated with Jagaban.
STRENGTH AND PARTY UNITY
The emerging results also come with a broader responsibility for all political tendencies within the APC.
Before the district elections, Jagaban publicly called on APC members to approach the internal contests with discipline, respect and unity, emphasising that competition should not result in lasting divisions within the party.
That message assumes particular relevance following the conclusion of the first phase.
Those elected to district positions are ultimately representatives of the APC and its membership, regardless of the political camp or aspirant with whom individual candidates may have been associated during the contest.
The next challenge for successful candidates and their supporters will therefore be to work within the wider party structure and maintain cooperation with members who may have supported other candidates.
THE APC REMAINS LARGER THAN INDIVIDUAL CAMPS
Internal elections naturally produce competing interests as candidates seek the support of delegates and party members.
However, once voting concludes, the elected executives are expected to operate within the broader institutional framework of the APC.
The party’s district elections are intended to strengthen its structures across the country, and the National Secretariat had earlier confirmed voting arrangements for the September 26 first-phase exercise.
Jagaban’s pre-election appeals for discipline, respect and unity have therefore placed emphasis not only on electoral competition but also on the period that follows the contests.
If candidates associated with his political organisation continue to perform strongly in subsequent phases, attention is likely to remain focused on how the network uses that influence within the wider party.
A DEVELOPING POLITICAL PICTURE
The first phase of the district elections should not, on its own, be regarded as a final measure of the APC flagbearer race. Further internal elections remain, political alignments can change, and the overall picture will become clearer as the party completes its electoral process.
What the first phase has done, however, is place greater attention on the organisational dimension of Jagaban’s political activities.
The conversation surrounding his candidacy is increasingly extending beyond public visibility, philanthropy and political gatherings to include grassroots relationships, constituency structures and participation in the APC’s internal democratic process.
For Jagaban and his supporters, the remaining elections will provide further opportunities to demonstrate the breadth of their organisation.
For the APC as a whole, the larger challenge will be to ensure that competition among different political tendencies strengthens rather than weakens the party.
The message emerging from the first phase is therefore not simply about individual electoral victories, but about the evolving organisation and influence of the different political networks operating within the APC.
As the internal process continues, the strength of each network will be measured not only by its electoral performance, but also by its ability to work within the broader party structure.
For Jagaban, his supporters and other political tendencies within the APC, the task after the elections remains centred on the same principle:
Different choices. Different candidates. But one APC.