By Musa Paul Feik
As Sierra Leone moves closer to the 2028 general elections, the country’s political conversation is gradually shifting from President Julius Maada Bio and his current administration to the question of what comes next.
President Bio was re-elected in June 2023 for a second term. His administration has continued to promote programmes around education, food security, energy, healthcare, infrastructure and public-sector reform. The Presidency has also described food security as a major priority for the second term.
But beyond the achievements, criticisms and political debates surrounding the present administration lies a bigger question: Who will shape Sierra Leone’s next political era?
The answer will not depend on one individual alone. It will involve political parties, presidential aspirants, voters, institutions, civil society, the media and, ultimately, the electorate.
Inside the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), attention is increasingly turning toward the process of selecting a successor to President Bio.
At the party’s 75th anniversary celebrations, President Bio called for the next flagbearer to emerge through a transparent democratic process, warning against factionalism and entitlement. He said the process should consider the candidate’s ability to unite the party and appeal beyond traditional political support bases.
That statement has placed the issue of succession and internal democracy firmly on the political agenda.
Several individuals are being discussed publicly in connection with the future of the SLPP, but the eventual candidate will emerge through the party’s internal selection process. Recent engagement between the SLPP and the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions has included discussions about flagbearer procedures, delegate registration, eligibility, nominations and internal complaints mechanisms.
The significance goes beyond personalities. The process itself could influence how party members and the wider public perceive the credibility of the transition.
The opposition All People’s Congress (APC) is also preparing for 2028, with several aspirants publicly positioning themselves for the party’s presidential nomination.
The APC’s challenge is not simply to identify a candidate. The party must also manage internal competition, maintain unity and determine how it presents its political programme to voters.
Political discussions around the APC have therefore increasingly focused on its internal organisation and the ability of competing aspirants to operate within an agreed party framework.
The central question for the APC is whether its 2028 campaign will be defined primarily by personalities or by a clearly articulated programme for government.
Perhaps the most important question for Sierra Leoneans is whether the next political era will be centred on individual political figures or national issues.
The 2028 election conversation is already touching on economic opportunity, employment, education, food security, energy, governance, corruption, healthcare, infrastructure, constitutional reform and the credibility of elections.
These issues could become more important as voters assess what they want from the next government.
Political parties may therefore face pressure to explain not only who should lead, but what that leadership would actually deliver.
Another major factor shaping the next political era is electoral reform.
Following the disputed 2023 elections, the Tripartite Committee produced 80 recommendations covering electoral and governance reforms. Institutions including the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) and the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion have continued work on implementing those recommendations ahead of 2028.
The reform process includes questions about electoral systems, political-party regulation, election administration and public confidence.
This means that the 2028 contest will not only be about candidates. It will also test whether Sierra Leone’s electoral institutions can provide a process that citizens and political parties regard as credible.
Political parties may organise conventions, aspirants may campaign and commentators may debate the candidates, but the final decision belongs to voters.
This makes the electorate perhaps the most important force in determining Sierra Leone’s next political era.
Will voters prioritise party loyalty? Regional considerations? Individual personalities? economic performance? Ppublic services? Integrity? Leadership experience? Or a combination of several factors?
What is clear is that Sierra Leone’s political environment is already moving toward the next presidential transition.
President Bio’s second term has created a political timetable in which both major parties must prepare for leadership contests while the country simultaneously deals with electoral reforms and broader governance questions.
Therefore, the debate about “Beyond Bio” should not simply be a debate about who replaces him.
It should be a national conversation about what kind of political leadership Sierra Leoneans want after 2028.
Will the next era continue existing policies, modify them or introduce a substantially different direction?
Will political parties compete primarily through personalities, or will they place detailed policy programmes before voters?
And will the 2028 election strengthen public confidence in Sierra Leone’s democratic institutions?
These questions are likely to dominate political discussions in the months ahead.
The political succession after Bio is not merely a matter for State House or party headquarters. It is ultimately a question for the entire country.
Beyond Bio, the real issue is not simply who comes next, but what kind of Sierra Leone comes next.