If the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) fails to take over power from the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in the past election, it could not unconnected to allegations that misfits are within the party’s ranks.
Accusations of APC demanding or accepting bribes from SLPP politicians are not uncommon and such move weaken the spirit of others who may want to put the shoulder to the wheel in defence of the party and to take back what really belongs to them.
Bribe taking also put the safety of other APC members who oppose SLPP’s second term at stake as seen in spates of arrest which SLPP has seen conducted in the opposition party for felonious offences.
The APC dissidents, according to sources, are people from whom much is expected since much has been given to them by the party.
They hold influential posts and enjoy large following within the party, but they do not use such popularity in the benefit of the party, but in the interest of another party as claimed by members and supporters.
The renegade politicians started in their humble origin in the party, grew in strength and wielded enormous influence among the party’s rank and file.
Their strategy works as they succeed in splitting the party into different camps that do not speak and act as one on major challenges confronting the party.
APC has the National Reformation Movement, the BIG SIX and other groups with different aims and objectives and not values and principles that reflect on the party’s national vision.
Although almost plunged into oblivion, NRM’s ostensible goal was to democratise APC and create a level playing field for all and sundry regardless of tribe and region. According to insider sources, the BIG SIX is an anti-Samura camp within the APC and would not like to see him become President of Sierra Leone.
The disunity will be manifested in times of intra-party controversies or when it is time to defend the party from SLPP attacks.
APC’s various affiliate groups are linked to different politicians who they see as their political god-fathers and would act in their interest.
However, failure by top APC politicians to respond to the allegations made against them strengthens suspicion that they are in league with the ruling party.
At this time, they are expected to hold press conferences to refute the claims to clean up their smeared image if only they do not have skeletons in the cupboard.
A senior APC politician who anonymously spoke to Nightwatch press quite lately confirmed that key APC stakeholders fear and frown at Samura Kamara’s presidency since they might not pull along.
Within SLPP and APC circles, Samura Kamara is known to be one that is less corrupt and wanted to see every government account for the last penny and sometimes defend or justify public expenditure to save public money.
Such moves are strange to Sierra Leone’s corrupt politicians who suck the economy dry depriving generations of today and tomorrow a fair share of the national cake.
Evidence of alleged secret support by APC politicians for the ruling party is gauged by the party’s failure to act in crucial matters that affect the party.
The alleged stealing of votes in daylight by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone was one that should have been robustly resisted by opposition politicians if a sell-out has not taken place.
The resistance does not mean a protest in the streets but a continued boycott of parliament, an action that would have produced the best answers. But, hypocrisy and lack of loyalty to the party made parliamentarians and councillors rush to parliament and councils, a move that took APC leadership aback.
The excuses offered by APC’s elected officials for them to take their seats in parliament were, to some extent, flimsy stating that they loaned money from financial institutions to finance their campaigns, and they wanted it back. The only way they could get it back was to go to parliament and councils although the people who they seek to represent are in tears.
The law makers and the councillors did not care leaving the party leadership in big shame since they are satisfied as long as they are in parliament.
According to reliable APC sources, the foreseen embarrassment and horror made the APC’s then presidential candidate called for a mediated dialogue between APC and SLPP to make their return to parliament official.
The three-day dialogue facilitated by the international community resulted into the signing of the communiqué that placed obligations on the two political parties.
According to the terms of the communiqué, APC should end their non-participation in state governance meaning parliamentarians and councillors would return to parliament and councils after the dialogue.
Similarly, SLPP should discontinue politically motivated court cases, release all political detainees and resettle those driven out of their communities by political violence.
Owing to what many would say a hypocrisy to the party, APC law makers have dispensed their own obligations while turning a blind eye to actions which the ruling party ought to have equally implemented as provided by the communiqué.
Although APC parliamentarians are working with the party after they have taken their seats, no prisoner has been released, political cases still continue in court and victims of political violence yet to be resettled. They are still hiding as they fear another brutalisation if they return home, and others are in different countries seeking asylum.
APC’s ex-Presidential candidate is back to court battling it out with a corruption case bordering on the misappropriation of funds meant for the renovation of Sierra Leone’s chancery in the United States.
Kamara was indicted about a year ago although he still maintains his innocence. Almost invariably, former President Ernest Bai Koroma was also arraigned for a new case of treason after he was reminded about his corruption matters which the Appeals Court had passed a ruling that did not favour him.
The matters emanated from the defunct commissions of inquiry which were set up to investigate persons who were President, Vice President, ministers and deputy ministers in respect of their management of state funds and handling of the state governance processes. Political analysts describe it as a new form of democratic accountability and those who feel aggrieved with the commission’s findings and recommendations have the right to appeal to the Appeals Court.
After months of reviews, the Court dismissed the appeals of the two appellants, Kamara and koroma asking them to pay huge sums of money as fines.
It was a move that also took many Sierra Leoneans aback as they expected government to do away with all matters that have to do with politicians.
In fact, government officials still have it hot during debates with opposition politicians about what really constitute political matters meaning they are ready to release no one.
Chief Minister, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, at one time, appealed to the APC to bring back the runaway prisoners as a condition for government to fully take part in the Tripartite Committee also known as the Election Investigation Committee.
Another senior government official was also blunt to say that they hold no one in custody for political crimes but criminal offences.
This statement was taken to be a betrayal of people of Sierra Leone, APC politicians and the international community as signing of the communiqué implies an acceptance that government conducted political trials and hold political detainees in custody.
However, as a show of disloyalty to the party, two members of parliament, Honourables Mohamed Bangura and Alfred Thompson took the oath of office even before the dialogue commenced, and even assured SLPP of bringing in more parliamentarians in the near future.
On several interviews granted to the media, Honourable Bangura would tell the people of Sierra Leone that he had friends in the SLPP and that President Bio is his best friend. To date, no discipline has been instituted against them.
Allegations of senior APC politicians prompting and facilitating most of the arrest that have taken place in the APC are also commonplace. They share a blame for the APC politician that have been nabbed and nailed. What about APC’s failure to create big noise over the arbitrary enactment of four laws (the Public Elections, Local Government, Political Parties Regulation Commission and Proportional Representation) to tilt the political environment in the ruling party’s favour.
It all started when the government removed 10 APC law makers from parliament through the court contrary to the provisions of the Public Elections Act, 2022.
The law in question states that where a petition against a newly elected member of parliament is upheld by the court, a rerun election should be held.
This law was completely trampled on as SLPP runners-up were sworn in by the clerk of parliament following the court’s judgment.
Erstwhile Publicity Secretary, Cornelius Deveaux who called for demonstrations against the court’s action was chased out of Sierra Leone, and APC executive did nothing about it even when they know that government’s action was illegal.
Deveaux is reportedly seeking asylum in one of the African countries after an arrest warrant was put out by the police force.
However, allegations of sell-out or complicity continue to trend among the public and media platforms while APC politicians choose not to respond for a reason that only God Knows.