Former flag-bearer, Dr Samura Kamara still roves in the camouflage of a current flag-bearer. Kamara visited almost all communities including remote villages even before the whistle is blown.
Many APC (All People’s Congress) members believe that the former flag-bearer moves to garner support from grassroot members of the party. Investigation carried out by this press shows that Samura Kamara is not alone in the moves.
He is encouraged by some members of the party to present himself as the flag-bearer. Few members of the party recently galvanized support for Dr Kamara to still hold on to the forte. They declared for him before the date for a convention was announced.
The declaration for the former flag-bearer created disunity in the party as factions for different camps emerged. Some APC members who spoke to this press have called on Dr Samura Kamara to exercise patience, and wait for the convention.
An APC member has told this press that an equal platform would be created for all candidates. “No more selection but election. Every candidate has to sell his ideology to the electorate. No one would be favoured,” he said.
He went on to state that every candidate will be treated fairly adding that any that emerges victor would be accepted by all. The convention, he said, would be conducted in such a manner that nobody would cry foul. Former President Ernest Bai Koroma too expressed similar hopes.
While in a burial ceremony few days ago, the President assured party members that there would soon be leadership that would take the party to a convention.
The former President who is still the party’s Chairman and Leader appealed to party members to throw their weight behind any candidate elected as flag-bearer.
With unity, he went on, the party headed for victory. The former President warned against washing the party’s dirty linen in public. He entreated party members to learn to solve their problems in camera. He also assured APC members that the party’s new constitution would soon be adopted to have a flag-bearer for the party.
The new constitution frowns at selection. It endorses the principle of election which is the norm in any political party. Dr Samura Kamara emerged as flag-bearer in 2917 when he was handpicked by former President Koroma to fly the APC’s flag in the 2018 elections.
Dr Kamara faced a heavy weight, Julius Maada Bio who he served as former Head of State in the NPRC (National Provisional Ruling Council) days.
It is still believed that Dr Samura Kamara still had inferiority complex for President Bio. SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) is apparently convenient with Samura Kamara to run with him.
The selection of Dr Samura Kamara in 2017 created divisions that nearly tore APC apart. Most flag-bearer hopefuls deserted the party leaving Samura Kamara alone in the battlefield.
APC was never known for selection to get their flag-bearers. It was only Samura Kamara that was selected in the party. The ‘Selection Clause’ recently was the cause of major conflicts in the party. On several occasions, the party has been dragged to court by NRM (National Reformation Movement), an offshoot of the APC.
The party has shown readiness to delete the Selection Clause putting Samura Kamara in a vulnerable state.