In a press release of 27th November, 2023, Secretary-General of the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) says his party will take power through the ballot box and not the barrel of the gun. “As a responsible party, we strongly believe in the assumption of power through the ballot and not the barrel of the gun,” a portion of the press release reads.
Acoording to the pres statement, the APC leadership was very much alarmed by the sporadic attacks on military and police facilities in Freetown last Sunday, and put out a press statement that see them distancing themselves from the military strikes.
“The All People’s Congress firmly condemns the dastardly acts of violence that occurred in Freetown on November 26, 2023. The party has carefully followed these unacceptable violent events of Sunday with grave concern,” the Press release also reads in part.
It further noted that APC members were deeply troubled that the security breach resulted in an attack on the armoury and other locations in Freetown, including Pademba Road correctional centre where hundreds of detainees were unlawfully released by a band of assailants.
The press document came out a day after unidentified gun men attacked an armoury at Wilberforce Barracks not too far from the Presidential lodge, the official residence of the President.
Other key military and police armouries and installations were raided and arms ammunition taken away thus creating a big cloud of suspicion that opposition politicians have business with Sunday’s attacks.
APC is also concerned about claims made by President Julius Maada Bio on the arrival of ECOWAS delegation who were in Sierra Leone ostensibly to sympathise with the government.
“We also note with dismay that in his statement with the high-powered delegation from the Republic of Nigeria and the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), President Bio pointedly associated our great party with August 10, 2022 protests and attributed our party’s contestation of the June 24 election results to these violent events,” the press release also noted.
The APC however cautioned government that Sunday’s events should not be confused with the current post-election reality. APC and other political parties as well as independent local and international observers including the Carter Centre have maintained that the results of the June 24, 2023 elections are lacking transparency and fraught with statistical inaccuracies.
In a widely circulated audio on media platforms, Deputy Publicity Secretary, Mohamed Pope Kamara also frowns at Sunday’s attacks on the army and police officers.
“We condemn the attacks in its totality as the APC party always believes in taking power through the ballot box and not the barrel. APC will not condone and compromise any act of coup as we are a peaceful political party“ he says as he fears a military take over in Sierra Leone.
Kamara is of the strong view that politicians including himself are vulnerable victims of a military rule, and therefore rules out any attempt by any person to assume power through undemocratic means. For the APC, the peace and stability of the state matters more than power ambition.
The opposition party is quite aware that Military rule is no alternative to a civilian government as the time-honoured adage that the worst of a civilian rule is the best of a military government still lingers in their minds.
Suspension of the constitution, imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew, closure of the country’s borders, abuse of human rights, extra-judicial executions among others are key hallmarks of a military government. The situation is dangerous for Sierra Leone as no one knows what could be the intention of the coup plotters , and thus APC sees the best way to go is to allow democracy to prevail.
Sounding confident, the APC spokesman believes that his party would defeat SLPP in any free and fair elections.
Despite APC’s condemnation of what many say an attempted coup, most of its members have been arrested and now held in detention. The Northeastern Regional Chairman, Alie Kargbo fondly known as ‘Commoner’ is now in the hands of the police and the National Organising Secretary, Bai Mahmoud Bangura too is in police custody.
The arrest and the raids still continue with the Chairman of the Western Area Rural district, Kasho Holland Cole being the latest to see huge police and army presence on his premises.
Mr Cole’s house was cordoned off and searched and according to reports, nothing of state interest was found, but he is not safe at the moment until the raids naturally pass off peacefully.
Close associates of the former President Ernest Bai Koroma are also key targets for arrest and detention in connection to Sunday’s onslaught and most are in custody awaiting arraignment.
As the police and army crackdown continues, doubts are are still being voiced out in light of the deep patience the opposition party has displayed over the years. APC politicians have seen waves of what observers referred to as a new form of state-sponsored violence with the attempted assassination of the APC’s presidential candidate, Dr Samura Kamara being the most recent.
Immediately after the election was announced, A group of heavily armed police appeared at the APC headqauters and opened fire at top executive officials with Samura narrowly escaping assassination.
But, the most admirable side was the peace moves adopted by the APC as they embarked on no reprisal attacks. On another occasion in the immediate election period, a shooting by the security forces at the party office also left a nurse fatally injured with no one held accountable in respect of the incident.
APC also suffered greatly in the hands of government following the august 10, 2022 demonstration in which civilians took to the street in protest against high cost of living. In a speech from the throne, President Bio also tagged the APC as a terrorist organisation and protesters as “terrorists” and “insurrectionists” accusing them of orchestrating and financing the demonstrations.
Although there was no evidence to substantiate their claims, APC politicians cooperated with the investigations right to the end.
The Special Investigation Committee which had the mandate to look into the cause of the protest implicated no APC minister but a top SLPP politician and state Minister, Lahai Lawrence Leema was declared a person of interest, but did not subject himself to the investigation.
APC’s patience did not come in a day, it started from the day SLPP took over governance in April, 2018 as past government officials were chased right in their homes for arrest and prosecution for allegations of corruption and money laundering.
From the outset, opposition politicians showed respect for the tribunal which later recommended forfeiture of property including personal houses. Even when 10 APC parliamentarians were illegally removed from parliament, APC members did not take to the streets but put up with the situation and waited for the ballot box.
APC’s deep patience, calm and composure was also seen in the immediate election period as many people expected party members to resist robustly as the EU, UN, Uk, US, Commonwealth and others have discredited the elections.
But, they waited to see the end with peace and not violence talk less of a coup.
