One who suppresses his political ambition for peace, unity and national cohesion especially after robbed of an election victory, should be counted stronger than one who conquers his enemies in battle.
Such restraint and patience symbolises peace and patriotism which are values zealously guarded by the opposition leader, Dr Samura Kamara. He displayed qualities patience, restraint and self-control after June 24, 2023 polls which apparently favour him.
By this time, Samura Kamara would have almost completed his first year continuing President Ernest Bai Koroma’s development projects and rolling out new ones.
As leader and Presidential candidate of the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC), Kamara faced incumbent President Julius Maada Bio in last year’s election with the latter fraudulently declared winner, a move condemned by local and international election observers. The international community especially world powers are yet to recognise Bio’s government which lacks popular support.
Credible sources within the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone said the results were announced before thousands of polling centre results in opposition strongholds were counted, a clear move to block Kamara’s presidency.
Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh refused to publish the electoral register ahead of the polls which has been a long-standing practice for all past elections in Sierra Leone. It is also the same for other countries in Africa and other parts of the world strengthening democratic good governance. It is also a law for the election boss to bring the register within public domain, but trampled on it and will continue such resistance in the face of an Election probe.
Recently, Governance Advisor, Dr Emmanuel Gaima reiterated government’s stance that ECSL (Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone) could not be coerced into facing the Election Investigation Committee, a body set up to look into June 24, 2023 elections.
ECSL is an institution mandated by the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991 to conduct and supervise all public elections, and the Public Elections Act, 2022 makes it mandatory for the election body to ensure free and fair electoral processes.
However, its resistance to the demands for the publications of the results by polling stations and districts after elections means fraud has taken place.
Such election observation missions, the Carter Center, EU, Commonwealth, AU, ECOWAS strongly questioned the credibility of the June polls and pressed for the release of the election results by polling stations and districts. The local election group, NEW (National Elections Watch) also condemned the electoral activities and processes leading to the final announcement.
NEW boss, Marcella Samba Sesay said in an interview that no candidate got the 55% constitutional threshold needed to avoid a run- off meaning there is no winner in the polls. A Popular argument also holds that if all votes are counted, there is no way the incumbent can defeat Samura Kamara who, many says, wins the election in the first round although contrary arguments still abound.
Samura Kamara endured several attacks from state security forces ahead of the June polls, but remained calm and unruffled to strengthen peace and security in Sierra Leone as the political situation was fragile and volatile.
The APC struggle began and ended with him as it was clear that he had won the regalia of a crowned prince. When it became clear that Samura Kamara was flag-bearer favourite among all other aspirants, some rogue APC elements also known as the anti-Samura species connived with government to halt the National Delegates Conference where a flag-bearer was to be elected.
APC members, supporters and sympathisers were struck when armed policemen cordoned off the APC regional headquarters in Makeni city, venue of the conference, with strong orders that nobody be allowed in.
No entry of any individual means no convention should take place there. Some senior APC members had sued the party seeking an injunction on the delegates’ conference and to restrain corruption indictees from taking part in it.
Kamara was an object of a corruption trial held in a high court in Freetown in respect funds allocated to the construction of Sierra Leone’s chancery building in the United States.
Kamara would have been kicked out of the political race had they succeeded with their plan. Although the opposition leader knew that he was man of the moment, he did nothing to undermine peace and security but confined himself within legal limits, but worked hard in diplomatic circles to turn the political tide in APC’s favour.
Kamara’s tact and diplomacy backed up by former President Ernest Bai Koroma resulted into a peaceful withdrawal of armed guards from the APC building, and the convention passed off peacefully.
He was overwhelmingly elected securing over 1, 500 votes leaving a little over 100 to be grabbed by fellow aspirants. The victorious Kamara was followed by former Chief of Staff, Dr Richard Conteh and ex-Minister of Public Works, Kemo Sesay.
The failed police blockade of the APC office in Makeni city was the starting point of intermittent waves of horrific police attacks on the opposition leader, a man who has always worked for Sierra Leone’s peace and development.
The first police attack after the convention was staged at Calaba Town in Eastern Freetown while Samura Kamara and entourage were returning home en masse in an old truck, an identification with the suffering masses and a sign of humility.
On their arrival at Foamex in Calaba Town community amid thunderous cheers by jubilant crowds, armed Police officers acting apparently under government order fired teargas canisters and live rounds to disperse the huge crowds that had come to welcome the APC flag-bearer.
The crowds too resisted throwing missiles at police officers, and Kamara’s convoy was put at a standstill for several minutes. As a man of peace, he watched, waited and later rolled his caravan to his destination after the conflict subsided.
On the other side of the drama, the APC scribe, Lansana Dumbuya was manhandled by guards at State Lodge on his way home.
As a peaceful and law-abiding citizen, Samura Kamara only put out a press statement condemning the attacks, and urged the police to investigate, but called no one to avenge let alone take to the streets. After months, Samura Kamara also suffered another armed attacks at Mile-38, the main roadblock to Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown while returning home after a short visit to the United States.
Teargas canisters and live rounds were also fired at his convoy, and Samura Kamara also held his peace even when his vehicle was hit by a canister. Police justified the attacks on the grounds that Samura Kamara flouted police restrictions on the number of vehicles to enter Freetown.
To prevent the situation from degenerating into a security crisis, Kamara alighted from his vehicle and walked to his house with the crowd who he pacified telling them to put up with the PAOPA threats.
He also displayed peace during campaigns ahead of the elections saying “POWER NOR TO PAOPA, NAR BAYO BAYO” meaning one does not acquire political power by the use of force but persuasion and humility.
However, Kamara’s preaching on the manner of power acquisition is alien to the PAOPA camp, a group of young boys who believe that power and authority can be acquired only through widespread thuggery, intimidation and terror campaign. The opposition leader was provoked on several occasions in the campaign period with the tearing of his portraits and APC posters more frequent particularly in the South-East regions.
Even when such destruction was brought to his attention, he would admonish supporters to overlook PAOPA’s destructive acts and keep the peace. “We should be more concerned about crowds and votes and not posters,” he appealed to APC supporters. While the tearing of posters was ceaselessly going on in the South-East regions, Bio’s portraits are in safe hands in the North-West as Kamara would caution his supporters to respect the law and obey those who enforce the law.
His advice was adhered to, but it came with a heavy cost as safety of APC members was at stake in their resolve to tread on the path of peace. PAOPA supporters, on the contrary, seemed unrestrained by any law or norm lorded it over APC members and supporters particularly in Bo, Bonthe, Pujehun, Kono and Kenema.
They were constantly under attacks and most were fatal with casualty figures unknown and still rolling even after a peace deal has been brokered. The worst attack was in Bo city where the house of an APC chairlady, Cecilia Ngobeh was set ablaze, but Samura Kamara put his supporters under control to ensure that SLPPers are safe. Mr Kamara’s call for peace in times of danger to APC facilities is reminiscent of Ernest Koroma’s protection offered to SLPP offices all over the country when APC’s regional headquarters in Bo city was torched by thugs linked to SLPP.
In the face of PAOPA lawlessness and recklessness, Kamara fared on, but raised critical concerns about the elections in rather peaceful way especially when the election boss attempted to openly tilt the scale in favour of the incumbent.
About two weeks to the polls, the opposition leader invited Konneh’s attention to naked anomalies which he wanted him rectify for peaceful and acceptable outcome. He pointed out non-publication of the electoral register, the manipulation of the electoral legal framework in favour of the ruling party, non-registration of first-time voters, printing of sub-standard and faceless voter identity cards and illegal appointment of Konneh and other election commissioners among others as key factors that negatively impacted the outcome of the June elections.
The election boss turned a blind eye and insisted on holding the election despite the political manipulation. Mohamed Konneh even retorted when Samura Kamara called for his resignation as well as the other commissioners.
A back up also came from senior SLPP politicians including the Chairman, Dr Prince Alex Harding who declared that the election would be conducted by Konneh at all cost and whatever means. Dr Harding’s taunts and ridicule against Samura Kamara did not deaden the opposition leader’s zeal as he was determined to protect the people’s votes through peace and diplomacy and not sticks and machetes.
Samura’s reluctance to go into the election was attributed to Konneh’s failure to address the various challenges that watered down the credibility of the polls. His stance that he would not go into the elections if the errors remain unaddressed would have reached the last man in the last village, but a sudden change of mind also helped preserve the peace.
Voters in Freetown and in the provinces were already out and about on the streets with the ‘NO DATA, NO ELECTION’ campaign echoing on hilltops, but was dropped after Samura Kamara urged the voters to go to the polls. The opposition leader cast his vote in Freetown with his usual smile and confidence. He also appealed to all voters to go home, stay calm wait for the announcement from ECSL.
Before the elections, The faceless cards was also an issue that would have caused voter apathy in the June polls, but Kamara’s positive comments also made voters go to the polls.
Firing of teargas and bullets during voting was also widespread with many running away, and hundreds of voters in opposition strongholds were disenfranchised. Such violence also came to the attention of the opposition leader, but cautioned his supporters to keep cool and calm, and fix ears to the ground for the final day.
Two days after the election, there was assassination attempt on Samura Kamara as armed policemen opened fire at APC headquarters while a meeting was in progress. The firing went on for several minutes, and Kamara alongside executive officials placed under siege.
He however came out unhurt after the shoot- out with many expecting that he would reach out his supporters to come to his aid.
But, he deviated from the path of conflict in preference to that of peace as he walked to his house and remained tight-lipped about the situation. In spite of the people’s long struggles to lift the shadows of tyranny and oppression, the results were pronounced the next day in favour of the incumbent, President Julius Maada Bio amid heavy police and military presence on the streets of Freetown ready to hit targets at close range.
The election boss read 56.17% for President Bio leaving 43.83% for Samura Kamara, but the electoral process was heavily criticised.
Pronouncements by local and international authorities were fertile grounds for Samura Kamara to put up the biggest resistance and a mere call for his supporters to protest is enough. But, the love of peace, unity and national cohesion held back the political giant.
Since he fully knows that the Bio’s government is lethal, and would not like to trade and traffic with the lives of his supporters, Samura Kamara decided to stage a boycott of parliament and local councils across the country to render Bio’s government less recognised locally and internationally.
In strict adherence to Kamara’s directive, no APC parliamentarian, mayor, chairman and councillor took their seats for three months making it difficult for Bio to stabilise his controversial second-term government.
In the tireless effort to bring back stolen votes, there was a time when APC’s elected officials wanted to switch their loyalty to the ruling party by taking their seats in parliament and local councils.
Such move would have left Kamara in great disappointment, shame and humiliation, but acted with tact and wisdom when he called for dialogue to be mediated by members of the international community (the Commonwealth, African Union and ECOWAS) which resulted into a communiqué.
Although he was intensely criticised for going into peace with SLPP, his peace moves is today bearing fruits as the election errors are set to be rectified in an unprecedented style, but only time will tell.
The probe is ongoing and the recommendations would be informed by the findings. The APC co-chair at the tripartite committee, Dr Kaifala Marrah was blunt to say “the committee would make appropriate recommendations if there are significant irregularities,” and the people of Sierra Leone expect to see either a rerun or early election.
For now, Samura Kamara is still APC’s Presidential candidate, and the election not yet over until it is over.
But, Sierra Leone is a bit stable compared to other countries in West Africa whose economies have been ripped off by post-election violence, thanks to Samura Kamara, and former President Ernest Bai Koroma, the architects of peace.
Without the patience of the two political heavy weights, Sierra Leone would have been another Kenya and Cote d’voire.