A blame game does not bring out solutions to problems but rather worsens polarised situations with leaders standing on the fringes. Blame games do not augur well for an opposition political party trying to take over state governance amid high public expectations about national development and demands for effective social services. So be it for the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC).
APC’s unity for victory is enshrined in the poetic line that “in the struggles of APC, there is victory for us all.” The line, a splendid read and attention- catching, calls for hands to be on deck if APC needs the result it is looking for.
In the struggle for victory, one does not walk alone but need others to reach the ‘Promised Land.’
The word ‘comrade’ widely sued by APC members, supporters and sympathisers embodies camaraderie, equality, friendship, oneness and togetherness in the party’s dealings internally and externally, and there should be no segregation of any person or group of persons on the basis of tribe and region.
The acronym should always be ‘WE ARE ALL ONE.”
Political events between 2018 and 2023 are enough for APC politicians to come together and sing the victory song with one voice to tell the world that the party is ever united than ever.
Litigations and counter-litigations have always defined the party after its departure from the corridors of power in April 2018 caused by the creation of camps by senior officers of the party.
In early 2019, the party was dragged to court and an injunction sought to halt a convention where the reviewed 1995 constitution was going to be adopted. It came to pass as the party failed to transact business, but the matter was later peacefully resolved.
It did not take too long for APC to go back to court challenging the legality of then executive which subsequently resulted into its dissolution, but was again sealed and settled in the interest of peace and unity of the party.
Even when APC’s convention was about to be derailed, the party’s senior members also came together and ended the impasse in the spirit of brotherhood.
A flag-bearer was elected with politicians moving to Freetown en masse also in a glaring show of peace, unity and cooperation.
APC went to the elections with all determination to win, but the results said otherwise, and the party’s constitution seemed to have affected the flag-bearer and presidential candidate.
The constitution says after six months, a flag-bearer and presidential candidate who loses and election must step aside and give way to a new one, although there are arguments to the contrary.
However, those in different camps of the party could not see eye-to-eye on complex issues facing the party, and several measures have been suggested to help it move on.
*Ignore The Past And Preach Peace
APC, in recent past, has seen several turbulent circumstances that strengthen the pillars of conflict instead of those of peace.
Social media bloggers have, without much evidence, accused top APC executive officials of collusion with and bribe taking from the ruling party just to set the party apart especially in the face of what appears weak communication links to disclaim the claims. While APC was struggling to make it in the polls, there was a time, former Vice President, Chief Samuel Sam Sumana was said to have fallen out with the former President, Ernest Bai Koroma and both were not on speaking terms. But, the detractors were consequently proven wrong.
He was also touted to have given an arm’s length to the former President for quite a long time even when there is no faint evidence to prove the cliam.
The claims hold that he did not show up when the ex-Head of State was placed under house arrest in respect of a coup against the crown.
Despite scathing and disparaging allegations against him, Chief Sam Sumana has, for a long time, turned away from the past in the interest of peace and unity of APC, the party of his forefathers.
It was also for the peace and unity of the party that, that former Vice President rolled his motorcade to Makeni city and reconciled with ex-President Koroma, a big surprise package for the people of Sierra Leone as nobody expected the offended to appease the offender.
The tight handshakes and cheerful smiles of the two APC heavyweights sent a loud and clear message that the party was ready for business, and there were no more divisions. Grudges and grievances could take the party nowhere since international community want to work with organized parties.
In his effort for peace and unity, Chief Sam Sumana did not stop there but went as far as taking an active part in the campaigns in a rerun election that saw honourable Khadijatu Davies back to parliament after she was arbitrarily removed by a court order of May, 2019.
Chief Sam canvassed support for the APC law maker by telling the people of Sierra Leone not to fall for micro credits, but should go for the right choice.
The message was hammered home as the people demonstrated it in the ballot box.
Chief Sam Sumana also exercised patience for APC’s unity since he stayed true and loyal to the party even when he was denied of the party’s flag to run for the presidency, but however remains hopeful.
The former Vice President also delay to enforce his compensation rights conferred on him by an ECOWAS Court verdict 2017.
Government’s refusal to comply with the ECOWAS Court, generated threats of sanctions in April, 2022, but the former President played it safe in recognition of the weakness of the economy.
According to the verdict, he was to be compensated millions of dollars owing to the arbitrary removal from Office of the Vice President, but gave up such interest knowing fully well that such move would lead to an economic disaster in Sierra Leone.
Chief Sam Sumana is also the only APC politician that is yet to receive his gratuities, benefits and other entitlements of a Vice President from the government, but such move did not keep him on the sidelines of APC politics.
He is in the mainstream playing active politics to see the party back to State House in the near future. At the moment, APC is at crossroads and only unity can bring the party to State House again. Peace moves shown by the former President should be cascaded down to APC grassroot at the regional, district, constituency and ward levels in every part of Sierra Leone.
If the former second gentleman of the state can make such sacrifices for the party’s peace and unity, it is also proper for others to emulate the good work. With peace, APC will surely come back.
Strengthen Inter-Party Relationship
A political party hardly wins an election without building good relationship with other political parties especially ruling parties. Opposition parties are needed during run off periods to boot out incumbent candidates, but relations with ruling parties are much more central to political victories.
Sierra Leone’s political history is replete with events in which opposition parties win elections when they partner with other political parties by building tight and intimate relationship with incumbent candidates.
In 2007, former President Ernest Bai Koroma was a tight and intimate friend to President Ahmed Tejan Kabba of blessed memories and also rallied behind opposition political parties to secure a victory.
Almost invariably, President Julius Maada Bio had a direct and cordial relationship with former President Koroma and also galvanised opposition political parties to defeat APC in 2018. The relationship between Presidents Bio and Koroma was strong so much that allegations of a sell-out were rife.
But, President Bio who knew what he was doing was not held back but went in for what he wanted and he got it. Even President Kabba who had no incumbent came closer to opposition political parties especially Honourable Thaimu Bangura of the People’s Democratic Party.
Honourable threw his weight behind Tejan Kabba in 1996 resulting into a victory for SLPP. It is a politics of diplomacy which is the only way out in contemporary democratic societies.
Thus, it is nothing wrong for a potential flag-bearer and presidential candidate in the APC to come closer to President Bio to bring the party back to power.
*Bring Opposing Forces Together
It is natural in every political party especially in Africa to have camps owing to political ambitions, but the ability of a leader to bring them together make things work. Camps express different views and opinions about their political candidates and such market places of ideas add to the beauty of democracy.
Just as there is a struggle between the old guards (Sierra Leone People’s Party) and the PAOPA, it is the same between the NRM (National Reformation Movement) and the Old APC politicians who hold different ideologies.
By its nature, NRM, a group of young APC members, emerged to democratise APC as evidenced by their demands with the expunge of the ‘selection clause’ from APC’s constitution being the most prominent.
The ‘Selection Clause’ confers powers on the party leadership to select party officers including the flag-bearer in situations where the elective principle fails to work.
Many believed that the clause was a setback to the party’s internal democracy, and one of the factors that led to its defeat in the 2018 polls.
Despite lawsuits APC faced in past years, the party’s democratisation was one of the greatest achievements as it struggles to catch up with the demands of the 21st century politics.
The NRM move years back was not directed at a particular individual, but aims at creating a level playing field for all political actors in the APC. It lends credence to the maxim that everyone who holds and exercise power in the party does so with the consent, approval and cooperation of those concerned.
After all, the NRM guys were not the immediate beneficiaries, but other political players in the party, but one day their names into the honour roll as men who stood for the democratisation of APC.
What is important after the NRM fight, APC now has a strong and functional democracy that caters for the political rights and interest of everyone.
Even the ‘BIG SIX’ and other camps should be brought under APC’s broad umbrella and fight a genuine political cause but within legal confines.
*Manage A Situation Before It Results Into Crisis
A political party is a composition of different individuals from different backgrounds and cultures (traditions, customs and values) that make it difficult for them look at situation with the same lens.
Seeing and analysing a particular situation from different perspectives is sometimes a major source of conflict, but the extent to which the party leaders manage situations makes the difference.
One of the main functions of any political institution is to manage a situation before it results into crisis, and that is what APC leadership should be seen doing at this crucial moment. The party’s leadership must be in a position to identify potential causes of conflict in the APC and nip them in the bud for the party to move on.
A fluid situation which seems to have been created in the party by social media bloggers linked to various political candidates poses a big threat to the party’s peace and unity. It is more of a threat when their services are hired by senior politicians to rain invectives at other candidates of the same party.
It is a real misuse of social media bloggers as it brings no benefit to the party; they only contribute to tearing apart of the party. Strong leadership must seek ways to convert such ostensible threat into an opportunity to make the party a better and formidable force in the forthcoming elections.
The use of obscene languages and unfounded allegations against top-notch politicians can discourage others. Politics should be seen as a game of decency and civility and not to tear or pull one down.
Peaceful political parties are training grounds for future leader if they are well managed by capable leadership. Strong leadership made strong institutions.
*Continue To Communicate And Educate The Grassroot On The Tripartite Committee
APC’s recent press briefing on the tripartite committee and messages of peace is a good start in the ongoing peace-building project. It helps grassroot understand what is going on in the country’s political landscape especially the election probe which represents the party’s only hope in the next elections particularly in a period of democratic backsliding.
However, the press briefing should be seen as a start and not an end in itself. The party must be seen taking similar measures in the near future to inform and educate the people of Sierra Leone on the main thrust of the Tripartite Committee owing to misconceptions nursed and nurtured by self-seeking politicians within the party.
Instead of seeing the committee as one that presents a big opportunity and hope for an opposition party, it is being touted as sell-out to the ruling party, a move that will send some APC grassroot to the streets in the near future.
It was in October last year that the party took part in a three-day dialogue facilitated by the international community (Commonwealth, African Union and ECOWAS) to bring sanity to the country’s political landscape.
The dialogue came after opposition politicians (parliamentarians, mayors, chairmen and councillors) refused to participate in parliament and local councils owing to allegations of significant irregularities. The state was in a deep stalemate in the absence of opposition politicians in parliament and councils as Sierra Leone was being isolated by the US and the West for a seeming absence of democracy.
Most parliaments including Commonwealth parliament does not recognise Sierra Leone’s parliament, the first organ of any government anywhere in the world.
But, the communiqué brought the two political parties together in the interest of peace and national cohesion which the ruling party has been preaching all along despite claims that they were not practicing the least of what they were preaching.
Despite the turbulence around, the Election Investigation Committee is looking into what happened in the June 24, 2023 polls, why did it happen and what could be done to prevent it from happening again.
Regardless of any argument to the contrary, the outcome will be one that strengthens electoral reforms in Sierra Leone for future elections to be free, fair and credible. It is hoped that there will be no conflict in future elections once there is honesty and transparency in every step on the way.
In spite of the great opportunity presented to APC by the Tripartite Committee, some political surrogates fighting proxy wars wanted to leave no stone unturned and no avenue unexplored to move the grassroot to a protest to reverse gains made over the years.
In such situation, the party leadership must not only educate the masses, but find and stop the purveyors of fake news and misinformation to keep the party well afloat.
*In Politics, Everyone Matters
For APC to prosper and flourish in the political landscape in a difficult moment, it must adopt, adore and strengthen a principle of EVERYONE MATTERS.
APC, was well known over the years, known for such principle, but divisive politics is whittling down the long-standing and cherished norm. APC, by nature, is a mass party founded on a nationalist ideology bearing some elements of socialism catering for the interest of every Sierra Leonean including those in other political parties. Within the APC, the voices of men in the streets are accorded equal weight to those of the President, Vice President, ministers and deputies, parliamentarians and councillors, heads of parastatals and agencies and others.
The people of the South, East, North and West should be friends to APC so that the party can spread far and wide and bring in more people.
The adoption of such equality principle by former President Ernest Bai Koroma led to political successes and victories between 2007 and 2012 despite allegations of discriminating South-East regions in terms of development projects.
In 2007, former President Koroma got a foothold in Kono district in in Eastern Sierra Leone getting eight out of ten parliamentary seats in the district because everyone mattered.
He also got similar votes in 2012 in Kono districts and made impressive inroads in other parts of South-East since no one was left behind.
But, it was a completely different case for 2018 when some parts in the South-East regions particularly Kono was left out when their son, Chief Sam Sumana was dropped out of the party owing to allegations of anti-party activity.
In protest, the people of Kono turned their backs against APC, a party which was their ultimate destination in past years. The political situation also repeated in 2023 since APC could not regain control of Kono and major towns in South-East regions. It is however hoped that Kono and other districts will come again to the APC fold if the right platform is created for everyone to showcase their talents, exercise their franchise, regardless of tribe and region.