Information reaching this medium indicates that certain political Shenanigans have recently bent on tarnishing the solid image of popular APC Politician, Hon, Chernor Maju Bah, popularly known within the APC party circles as ‘Chericoco’ as haven met with former President and Chairman of the APC Party, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma in Nigeria to seek his blessings in his bid for the flagbearer of the party for the 2028 presidential election.
This game plan to sow seeds of discord between the two naturally friendly political allies is not a new phenomenon, as it is a known strategy by protégés of certain non-performers to eliminate potential popular candidates from the race. Targeting Hon, Chernor Maju Bah therefore, is no surprise!
But the erudite and shrewd politician has vehemently denied the postulation, noting that it is the handiwork of elements within the party who do not want to see progressives making headway in the furtherance of achieving the party’s overall aim of retaking State House in 2028.
According to the questionable report, Hon. Chericoco allegedly visited the former APC Chairman in Nigeria and that during their meeting Chericoco sought Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma’s support for his aspiration to become the APC flagbearer for 2028. The tainted report suggested that former President Koroma advised Chericoco to step aside and allow new faces to take the lead.
The report went on that former President Koroma advised that Chericoco has missed several opportunities in the past and should not pursue the flagbearer quest again.
The clumsy social media report went on to claim that former President Koroma emphasized that Chericoco’s time in the race has come to an end and urged him to give others a chance to take the All Peoples Congress (APC) to State House.
The news report alleged that while Ernest Bai Koroma expressed his respect for Chericoco, he made it clear that he does not support his bid for the flagbearer this time round, noting that the former President instead encouraged Chericoco to be patient and to rather through his support for whosoever is fortunate to emerge as the party’s flagbearer.
This charade, Nightwatch is made to believe, must have been generated amid flying rumour that the former President is himself searching for “a fresh face” to be the party’s standard bearer in the 2028 presidential race and to further make that allusion real, these alarmists have now decided to plunge the name of a fine and down-to-heart politician in that cesspit of inarticulate social speculation for the sheer purpose of distraction.
What we know at Nightwatch is the fact that Hon. Chericoco has built a solid political foundation with the rank and file of the APC and particularly, with the former President and Chairman given his track record contributions to the social, political and economic wellbeing of the party over time.
A political analyst confided to Nightwatch that, there is no possibility for the former President and Chairman to have said the words now being paraded as said by him to Chericoco, because, according to the analyst, the personal relationship existing between the two gentlemen goes far beyond political sentimentalism and sheer rhetoric.
Speaking to Hon. Chericoco Bah, he vehemently denied the speculative assertions in that social media post, pointing out in no uncertain terms that he never met or held a meeting with the former President as propagated by his distractors in that social media post.
Chericoco described former President Koroma as his political mentor and godfather whose suggestions, advice or otherwise are highly respected and valued.
The astute, much loved, admired, and respected former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament wants his grassroots supporters in the party and outside not to countenance the allege social media post, and described it as the handiwork of certain political elements within the party that are afraid of a free and fair competition for leadership. He however maintains that insofar as the flagbearer race for the APC party is concerned, “I have not at any point in time expressed my desire for it to anyone or at any public or private gathering.”
He however noted that he still has the right as a fully paid-up member of the APC party, to contest for the top tier position, even though he has had his name on the party’s presidential campaign lists as Running Mate for two consecutive elections.
“Former President Ernest Bai Koroma and I never met to discuss my intention to contest for the flagbearer of the APC. While I value and respect his advice, we never met to discuss me and the APC flagbearer position. This is news to me and can only serve one purpose: to sow the seeds of discord and disunity among the party’s leadership structure, especially creating an artificial issue where there is none. I have never contested for the flagbearer position before because I wanted to give others the opportunity to do so. If I decide contest for the flagbearer position this time round, it will be my first time and I would be doing so within the remit of the party’s Constitution,” Hon Chericoco pointed out.
The indefatigable Chernor Maju Bah said he believes in and loves the All Peoples Congress party, since he was a kid, student, and professional. Hon Maju Bah is a grassroots member of the APC and is on record for his unlimited and boundary-less humanitarian gestures in the party that have gone without notice. You go North, you go South; you West and you go East; the name of Chericoco among APC supporters is a household name.
Hon. Chernor Maju Bah is therefore calling on the rank and file of the APC to be aware of this mudslinging tactics of certain bad politicians and their surrogates within the party, noting that the fabrication of such lies, aimed at causing distraction or to cause confusion within the party, will not augur well for meeting the party’s collective aspiration of retaking governance from the SLPP. He cautioned his supporters, fans and admirers to always be careful with what they read on social media as most of these postings could be coming from disgruntled and inept politicians who appear to only be seeking their personal aggrandizement at the expense of the collective good of the party.
“Don’t countenance that particular report. It is fake news. It is fabricated and skewed with the sole aim of putting my good name into disrepute and to mislead the majority well-meaning members and supporters of our beloved APC party,” the cute and intelligent Hon. CMB stated, and he added, “since we all value former President Koroma’s opinions as far as the APC party is concerned, I can see why my detractors would want to make such a spurious and baseless allegation that the former President and Chairman advised me to stay out of the flagbearer race.
What I believe is that, no matter what the circumstance, at the end of the day, the party will have a flagbearer that we will all support as a party and government in waiting. With that spirit, I am constant like a Northern Star and no amount of intimidation or distraction through uncouth social media posts will cow me down as a leading actor in the APC party,” Hon Chernor Maju Bah asserted.