The resistance put up by the opposition, All People’s Congress (APC), these days, has prompted several questions among the public.
The public especially the grassroots supporters are asking why is the APC taking such action now after two years of patience, restraint and acceptance.
The APC accepted inflation, enactment of somewhat “oppressive” laws, frequent arrest and imprisonment on orders from above among several other anomalies.
These qualities of restraint and acceptance exhibited by APC politicians began right from the days of former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Recent revelations have shown that Ernest Koroma was the first to show acquiescence to the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) even when he was in power.
The ex-President showed the greatest largesse to senior SLPP politicians while he was to the annoyance of APC members and supporters raising questions about such magnanimity to political opponents.
Credible sources close to the former President said at any time the former President was cautioned about his intimacy with SLPP politicians, Ernest Koroma would say the SLPP guys are Sierra Leoneans and they deserve such kindness.
When ex-President Koroma’s convoy was stopped by the SLPP leader, he was comfortable and complacent as he warned his guards to exercise restraint and move on.
APC politicians also displayed similar restraint following the announcement of President Julius Maada Bio winner of the 2018 elections although an atmosphere of fear hangs on.
The vast majority of APC members and supporters expected their party leaders to take the issue to the Supreme Court to determine who the actual winner was since their party was in governance.
But, there was a sudden twist of events as then flag-bearer, Samura Kamara led a delegation to state lodge and congratulated President Bio on his election victory.
The dust settled after the congratulation and President Bio formed his government with a vision and mission to serve the country with former President Koroma completely submitting himself and called on others to follow suit.
Below is a chronology of actions taken by the APC to mesmerize or massage the ego of SLPP politicians and that the people expected them to maintain the momentum of patience and tolerance.
APC’s Frequent Meetings With President Bio Before 2023 elections:
Although the dark of the night covered the secret meetings APC leadership held with the presidency, there was a time when everything almost came under the spotlight.
The threat to expose the secret meetings was made by First Lady in a video that went viral on media platforms, and APC politicians never responded to such statement.
“I will soon expose those APC leaders who hold secret meetings with the President,” she threatened to bring the illegal activities of APC to the public domain.
The APC politicians neither refuted nor admitted the allegation of holding secret meetings with SLPP politicians but went silent and silence means consent.
Most times, credible sources say, the APC politicians will never return with empty hands after the meetings with SLPP politicians sometimes at State Lodge and State House.
But, on several occasions, the outcome of the secret meetings is usually a closely guarded secret as it is never communicated to the APC grassroots supporters.
Frequent Police Invitations and Arrests of APC supporters:
An exchange of official correspondence between APC secretariat and the Police shows that most of the raids and arrest conducted by the police at APC headquarters were facilitated by senior APC politicians.
Whenever there was a meeting at the APC office in Freetown to deliberate on the progress of the party, some APC politicians would invite the police to arrest their supporters and lock them up owing to several offences related to public order. These supporters would spend days, if not weeks, in police custody before they are released from the cells on bail with strict conditions, and one of them was to comport themselves throughout.
These freed low-level supporters of the party and others are jittery to speak up when senior party officials go the wrong way for fear of police arrest, and such fear continues to this day.
APC Politicians Always Distanced Themselves From Members when Arrested:
APC, for a long time, has developed a cunning politics of distancing themselves from most APC supporters when they fall into the police net.
They demonstrated such strategy to Alfred Pallo Conteh, former Internal Affairs Minister who was arrested and detained for treason-related crimes.
Throughout Conteh’s stay behind bars, APC politicians failed to stand up with him not until Dr. Abdulai Conteh came to defend him in court and subsequently secured his release backed up by a clemency.
Similar action is also shown to APC’s Public Relations Officer in Bo city, South, Mohamed Moriba who is going through trial for politically-related offences.
Moriba has been a popular social media ventriloquist fighting for the APC in his humble way, and instead of showing support for their APC official, they distance themselves from him saying the man has been cautioned on several occasions.
A senior APC politician who seems not comfortable with APC’s behaviour towards their grassroots members said SLPP hardly behaved that way as they would show support for their fellow politicians who broke the law while APC was in power.
He cited the case of Lahai Lawrence Leema, erstwhile SLPP Publicity Secretary as one that was sympathized with by the SLPP during his incarceration following alleged physical attacks on the staff of the state broadcaster, Sierra Leone broadcasting Corporation.
Sympathizing With President Bio While Ignoring Samura Kamara:
APC showed discrimination to former presidential candidate, Samura Kamara in favour of President Bio when moments of grief visited the two personalities.
It was reported that APC executive officials donated Le100, 000 (one hundred thousand Leones) to SLPP camp following the death of the President’s elder sister. But, they failed to replicate similar to their party member, Samura Kamara when similar situation befell him.
Samura Kamara lost his elder sister in Kamalo town, but the APC executive failed to sympathize with him in a manner they did for the SLPP.
The people hold the view that it is not bad to sympathize with the SLPP during a moment of grief, but they should do the same for Samura Kamara since what is good for the goose and also good for the gander.
APC Persistently Canvass Their Supporters To Wait for 2028 after 2023 Disputed Elections:
One of APC executive’s greatest show of support for SLPP was to easily succumb to SLPP after June, 2023 disputed elections and canvass their supporters to tread on the same path at the dismay of local and international election observers.
In most of their meetings, they usually appeal to their supporters to keep the peace and wait to vote again in the 2028 polls to choose another leader as they engage press, radio and TV stations.
They were the ones who publicly declared that the election was over and the country should move on.
Mere questioning of the rationale behind the wait for 2028 is seen as a deviation and therefore an anti-party activity let alone taking another route to undermine their effort.
During radio and tv discussions, the APC executive officials will always insist that “the election is done and dusted” and no need for a rerun.
Bent on seeing a 2028 election, the APC stalwarts reject every call to correct the wrongs of the 2023 election since a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
However, the APC executive seems to have woken up from their slumber in the nick of time by boycotting parliament and local councils owing to the appointment of Edmond Alpha Chief Electoral Commissioner.
Time is too late for the APC executive officials as one cannot fatten a pig on the market day and “no one eats his cake and have it again,” in the words of the Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh.