Although he was one of the tough contenders for the APC (All People’s Congress) flag, Honourable Kemo Sesay has minced no word declaring Samura Kamara as the man in charge of the party for now pending the outcome of the election probe.
“Samura Kamara is still APC’s leader and presidential candidate after December 27, 2023 since the election results are being investigated,” Mr Sesay informed the public.
The former parliamentarian and Public Works Minister, made the statement in response to calls for Samura Kamara to step down since his tenure had expired.
Citing the recently reviewed APC constitution, some APC members strongly argue that Kamara is entitled to only six months after the June 24, 2023 elections, and without extension, he is no longer the party’s leader.
But, Honourable Sesay differs from the opponents’ views arguing that as long as the results are being looked into by the tripartite committee, Samura Kamara still remains leader of the party.
He cautioned APC’s senior and grassroot members against taking part in such a move owing to its legal side effects.
“Calling for Samura Kamara to leave office of flag-bearer and presidential candidate is the same as accepting defeat from President Julius Maada Bio, and such will not be good for the party,” he stressed.
The former law maker who was detained at Pademba Road prison for days for cyber crimes reminded colleague politicians about Bio’s plan to shut down APC to have an easy ride to his one-party rule which has been a long held dream of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s party (SLPP).
SLPP is the oldest political party in Sierra Leone, but it appears as if it could not put up with political competition, and the only way is to send the party into extinction by arresting and detaining key members.
Intimidation, harassment and terror tactics are also employed to narrow the political space.
The move to get Samura Kamara out of the party is one that is orchestrated and financed by the Anti-Samura Kamara species who have been long active in the party but went unnoticed as they operated underground.
They have the cash to dish out to the party’s lower cadre members who may turn their backs against the leader and presidential candidate, but refused it to spend it to bolster peace and unity
They hope to make their way only when Kamara gets out of the political scene, but to other members, this is not the right moment as no evidence has shown that Kamara is genuinely defeated in the ballot box.
The fight for Samura Kamara to leave office will be fierce with fingers pointing at SLPP politicians for fuelling it.
Political analysts have made it clear that APC’s constitutional crisis represents the last hope for Julius Maada Bio to retain the presidency. Bio fails if Samura succeeds.
It goes without saying that there will be no more candidate if Kamara and his deputy’s mandate is terminated overnight.
APC will not fill in a candidate within hours for the next election until 2028 thus paving the way for another brutal rule for the next five years.
It is clear that, at the moment, the people of Sierra Leone will not opt for Bio’s rule in light of their previous, sad experience in the first term.
It does not matter who comes to state leadership as long is out of State House. On the other hand, Samura’s move to retain the presidential candidacy will be not be an easy pushover as many see it.
According to the party’s constitution, the executive officials who, most of them are members of the National Advisory Council (NAC), are supposed to convene a national delegates’ conference where a constitutional amendment that will allow Kamara to continue in office will be discussed and effected.
According to the constitution, NAC is the most important policy and decision making body of the party second only to the National Delegates Conference.
But, a strained relationship may be detrimental to the party and Samura Kamara although others hold contrary arguments. For them, Kamara has always been in good terms with his executive.
This claim is not too convincing that as all is not well within the party and APC politicians should not bury their heads in the sand and pretend that all is rosy.
Lately, Samura Kamara has never been at ease with most of his executive officials who stand accused of collecting a US$2m bribe from President Julius Maada Bio for parliamentarians and councillors to take their seats.
With APC’s elected officials in parliament, Bio hopes that his government would be internationally recognised and funded.
As the flames of the allegation are being fanned every passing day, Samura continues to Keep an arm’s length with his officials, a move seen as one that is facilitated Bio’s brutalisation of APC members.
Despite Kamara’s animosity with his team there is still a ray of hope as the international community and the people of Sierra Leone see him as a man of the moment. They stand with him even in dark moments.
It goes without saying that even the ongoing election probe will favour Dr Samura Kamara as President Bio is not seen as the actual and rightful winner of the June elections.
APC’s leader is also popular among APC grassroot members as many continue to hail him Sierra Leone’s next President as only time will tell.
Kamara, for many Sierra Leoneans, has only few months more to take over state governance as the Carter Centre Foundation report has recommended that either the authorities hold fresh election or Bio gives up power.
In either case, Kamara is on the receiving end since he is man who has got accolades from the local and international circles.
He served the defunct National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) as Financial Secretary and later worked with President Ahmed Tejan Kabba of SLPP Bank Governor.
He did not cut off his service to the nation even when Kabba rode into the sunset. He also served former President Koroma as Bank Governor, Minister of Finance and later Foreign Affairs Minister.
Kamara’s service is not only felt in Sierra Leone but also the outside world.
He worked with the International Monetary Fund, world Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat in a senior managerial posts.
Although he has had a rich experience to his credit, APC’s presidential candidate has been an object of hate in the APC for several years with many saying he has never aspired for the office he is holding today.
He never dismissed the claim that he is an original politician but fortune smiled at him during a national delegates’ conference in Makeni City in November, 2017 where he was chosen by former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
For many in the APC, Kamara’s candidacy was a miracle that emanated from a disagreement among 28 flag-bearer aspirants.
Everyone was ambitious for the presidency and it was difficult to choose one man, making it easy for Kamara to emerge as a flag-bearer with a running mate, Chernor Maju Bah.
It was one of the most controversial moments for Samura Kamara, but it however marked great things for Kamara as he was fortunate enough to be overwhelmingly elected flag-bearer in the February, 2023 convention in Makeni city in Northern Sierra Leone.
He pulled about 1, 500 votes leaving a little over 100 to be grabbed by the second and the third. His entry into Freetown was triumphant as millions thronged on the streets to see a man who will be the Moses of the present generation.
The people’s joy and celebration was however cut shot by trigger-happy policemen who fired teargas canisters to disperse them.
The teargas firing ceased for a while with Samura rolling his caravan unhurt, but it marked the beginning of a series of assassination attempts on his life with the shelling on APC headqauters just days after the June elections being the deadliest, but God was on his side
In the face of court trials, tribulation, intimidation and harassment, Kamara emerged victorious according local and international election observers. But, the ECSL Chief said otherwise for which a probe has begun to get things right.
At the moment, there is no gift so precious APC members can offer to Samura than to allow him lead the party and be sworn in as President of Sierra Leone in less than a year.