Déjà vu

In a recent article I quoted from Sir Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines after the fall of Twala, the King. It reads, “poor fellow, he is learning the lesson which fate teaches us who live long enough, that the eyes of men (and women of course) are blind to the conquered and he who is fallen finds few friends and little mercy.” Since the SLPP lost the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, thanks to Christiana Thorpe and her ‘regime change’ friends a lot has happened to the former ruling party.Some of our members jumped ship the moment that Christiana Thorpe read out her cooked results. Others have waited just long enough before showing us the soles of their feet as they crossed to the greener pastures of the Red sun. (Photo: Dr Sama Banya)

To some, Sierra Leone’s saviour, her messiah had finally arrived and we were going to experience a new Utopia. In addition to Christiana Thorpe’s open betrayal and treachery, other people gave as reason for our defeat, their imagined rigged leadership election in Makeni when Charles Margai was allegedly robbed of victory in favour of Solomon Berewa. And so the criticisms and the reasons for our downfall have continued even with the worst economic situation this country has gone through, the war years included.

In 2005 we had four finalists for the ballot which was open and in broad view of all especially of the candidates’ chosen representatives. In 2005 other would-be contestants had been persuaded to step down.

In 2010, we began with 23 intending aspirants. Eventually some dropped out of their own free will, leaving us with a field of 19. The 19 are all committed and dedicated party members who have voluntarily declared that in the event of their not winning the contest, they would throw their weight behind the winner.

The relationship among the aspirants has remained cordial to this day. They have shared the same platform on many an occasion without rancour. That notwithstanding there have been ISOLATED INCIDENTS of tension among some of their more zealous supporters. It is a section of the press that has taken it upon themselves to continue telling their readers who the front runners in the contest are. Very much to their credit and show of maturity not a single candidate has made any such claim. It is our detractors who have ignited the fire and now relish in describing divisions within the party. Some have used expressions like the party disintegrating or in shambles. One aspirant took the party to court, got an injuction forbidding the national executive from holding a leadership contest until certain procedural matters were addressed; that was interpreted as a defeat for the party.

The leadership has gone ahead and in anticipation of a possible court order and organized successful constituency and district elections all over the country; the only hiccup has been in one district of the western area. Again this development is seen as another setback for the party. But looking back, which democratic political party has been free of similar situation. And yet those of our party are blown up with no other motive than to tear us apart. Some new converts or defections to the ruling APC are promising to take hundreds with them even when they were never able to muster 50 for the SLPP. Who is frightened at such bogus claims?

My friend and former colleague J B Dauda is quoted as saying that the current APC government is the most development oriented in history and has rejoined it. A little earlier he too had his eyes on the leadership position and begun to campaign vigorously. Not one of current praise singers would now admit that Dauda’s claim to leadership which WAS BASED ON REGION. IT WAS THE TURN OF THE EAST TO PROVIDE THE NEXT LEADER, a position that is at variance with our party’s motto of ONE COUNTRY, ONE PEOPLE.

And so it is that we have been witnesses to today’s occurrences within the Torkpoi family. Yes, as the French would say.”Déjà vu!” I have been through this before; it is all familiar ground. What is certain is that we shall emerge from the current apparent division stronger and more united than before. Mark my words.

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