The President, Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, who was speaking to the general populace a day after he was declared President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, has reiterated that he is neither a president for the East, West, North or South, but a president for all Sierra Leoneans no matter their political party or region they hail from.
He assured all that his government was going to work for all citizens and that by the time his five years mandate ends in 2023 he would have been able to convince Sierra Leoneans who did not vote for him in changing their minds and vote for him for the second term.
Many Sierra Leoneans believed that the President is making such statements against the backdrop that  elections are over and that it is time to work leaving the mixed feelings behind.
It could be recalled that previous elections in the country had witnessed high incidents of violence meted out against supporters of the Sierra Leone People’s Party, who were in the opposition by then.
Prior to the 2012 presidential elections, while campaigning during a rally in Bo, President Bio was stoned by alleged supporters of the All People’s Congress (APC) party.
The 2018 multitier elections were also characterized by high incidences of violence between the two main political parties. Amidst all of these, President Bio has always called on his supporters to remain calm and abide by the rule of law.
Many believed that peace is a cardinal principle in the New Direction. The various developmental projects, under this policy, would succeed in a very peaceful and serene environment.