SLPP, Bio and public relations blunder hands winning to APC. Part 1

London, UK – The current SLPP is a ghost of its former self as Bio and his incompetent public relation officers (PROs) hammered the final nail into the coffin of the party, giving APC the added advantage to win the elections by a huge majority come November 17. With president Koroma’s agenda for change firmly in place making positive impact in the lives of Sierra Leoneans, APC is destined to win the coming elections anyway. What is not clear is the marginal difference in the number of votes to be cast for both parties. As SLPP continue to struggle in the opinion polls the signs are that APC will gain 70 %, while SLPP will secure 20% and all other parties10% of the total number of votes to be cast. It is only a matter of time SLPP will be back in opposition for the second time running after two elections since 2007.

SLPP is dumped in the gutter by its public relations people; it will take a real talent, an expert in human psychology pulling all the stops to rebuild the party’s image. The method used so far by SLPP, PR people to publicise the party to the nation and the world is not working and it appears not to work for years to come. From 2007 to now SLPP publicity officers used threat and intimidation as a weapon against vulnerable people to win votes for their party. A canny tactics that came back to haunt them, and they will pay the price through the ballot box on November 17.

For four years the public has seen wave of senseless attacks on people’s personalities from SLPP publicity officers because they perceive those people to be enemies of their party. Should PROs be used as political watch dogs to chase people just because they hold a different opinion to the party’s policies? What we are seeing now from the main opposition party’s PR people is disturbing, unprofessional and unethical. They have embarked on a dangerous game of writing malicious articles full of lies with the aim to win the coming elections.

As custodians of the party’s image, PR people should avoid unleashing mayhem on the public and maintain the highest dignity to win support of the people for their parties, but SLPP public relations does the exact opposite with their dastardly publicity. One particular PR, who doubles as chief spokesperson for the party is the centre of attention for his foul mouth and his unprofessional approach to issues that concerns SLPP, told John Leigh, Sierra Leone’s former ambassador to the USA, that John Leigh’s talent is not up to scratch to serve as ambassador. The same PR went on to allege that John Leigh is bankrupt because he spent all his money on his several concubines. Two other PROs from the same party verbally abused John Leigh calling him frustrated and stupid. Knowing John Leigh at his best dealt with the PR people fair and square bringing to the fore their inexperience and unprofessional approach to discussions in a public forum.

In a separate incident, one PR of the same party launched a ferocious attack on Tam Bayoh, rubbishing his academic achievement and inviting Tam Bayoh to fight as if this will help his course. The same PR promised to beat the hell out of Tam Bayoh when he returns to Sierra Leone in November. Of course, November is barely five months away and people are determined to witness the fight and applaud the winner. “At list the e-media is helping us to identify them so fast and keep records of what they are doing daily”. One other PR made this statement in the forum to his audience. We wait and see whether the use of force and threat can win the heart and minds of Sierra Leoneans to vote SLPP.

These attacks are a tip of the iceberg. As the elections get heated up and things get worse for SLPP, we should expect more of these unprovoked attacks on those switching party alliance to APC.

To make matters worse, the party’s leadership is grip by the fear of speaking the truth to their members let alone the people of Sierra Leone. A tiger will always breeds a tiger; it is therefore not surprising to see the party’s publicity officials writing spiteful articles about people and at the same time asking them to vote for SLPP. What is certain no political party is preordain to win elections through the use of threat, foul mouth and character assassination. To many people voting for SLPP is like living in a fools’ paradise when in fact Sierra Leoneans are far away from being labelled as insane people. In addition the whole country is suspicious of Bio‘s leadership.

As election draws closer, the entire country await Maada Bio the SLPP presidential flag bearer, dubbed as human right abuser, passport swindler and a tribalist to apologise to the nation for his part in the summary execution of the 29 innocent people. His failure to put up any defence against the allegations is an indication of admission of guilt. But for SLPP lobbyists, they think Bio is a victim of persecution for crimes he did not commit.

Having muddied the political climate in Sierra Leone, Bio and his PROs took their campaign abroad; first stop the United Kingdom pre-empting support from the British government. In London everything went terribly wrong for Bio and his entourage, from his interview with the BBC, to his dinner party and right down to his Chatham house meeting. His inexperience as opposition leader, his untold lies about the execution of the 29 innocent people exposed Bio with all the trappings of a liar and unfit to lead Sierra Leone as Head of State.

Maada Bio’s arrival to London sparks a new wave of tribal argument in the SLPP. He arrived at a time when most of his party members were locked in war of words against the party leaders for failing to combat tribalism within the party. The none Mende speaking party members expected Bio to address allegations of tribalism within the party, but he failed to do so. These allegations were proven to be true at Bio’s dinner party where the none Mende speaking people were left isolated like uninvited guests. They asked why Bio is refusing to condemn tribalism within the party. His departure from London left a trail of controversy with terrible memories in the minds of the non Mende speaking people. These and many other reasons made most of them to switch party alliance to APC and vote enmasse for EBK in the coming general elections in order to give Bio the taste of his own medicine.

It is ironic that within the rank and file of the party tribalism is at its best to ensure Mende tribal hegemony over the party. For now the senior members have dismissed any talk of eradicating tribalism from the party. Nevertheless, the party continues to prowl the length and breadth of the country seeking prominent people to drag into tribal controversy with the aim to divert attention from tribal allegations within SLPP. Against this background president Koroma became their first victim of tribal prejudice, they took the president’s speech out of context and interpreted it wrongly to engage the nation in tribal debate.

For SLPP to make a return to power at the peril of APC would mean a total transformation of the entire rank and file of the party, from the top right down to their window dressers. Any hope of election success against APC would have to be after 2017, because the task at hand for SLPP is huge and could last for almost a decade. Unless the party can honestly deal with tribalism, restructure the party’s leadership, sort out the unprofessional PROs, gradually it’s heading to its final resting place for the unforeseeable future after November 17. Perhaps this is the last time we will see the party play any active role in the politics of Sierra Leone as the United Democratic Movement headed by Mohamed Bangura is slowly gaining momentum and relegating SLPP to third place in terms of politics in Sierra Leone.

By Tamba Gborie

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!