APC On Course To Bounce Back In 2023
The country’s main opposition, All Peoples Congress (APC) Party, according to many of its loyalists and political analysts, is now poise to bounce back after it painful defeat in the March, 2018 election by its arch rival, Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) as the party’s 1995 constitution, which allows for selection or lection and other non-democratic attributes is now set to be reviewed.
According to many Sierra Leoneans especially party loyalists, the party’s 1995 constitution forms part of the reasons its lost the March elections as a result of the powers it gave to stakeholders to take certain decisions at the expense of the majority and one of such, according to them, was the unilateral decision taken by its leader and Chairman, former president Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to impose Dr. Samura Kamara and Hon. Chernor Bah as the flagbearer and running mate for the party in the March election; a decision many say, angered many supporters of their party and hence staged a protest vote.
However, since the party’s loss, many quarters within the APC have been calling for urgent reforms within the party and its structures. Notable among the reformist groups is the National Reformation Movement (NRM), who had been calling on the old folks of the party especially the Leader and Chairman, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, National Secretary General, Ambassador Dr. Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh, the Deputy Chairman and Leader, Hon. Minkailu Mansaray and others who the reformists claim were responsible for the party’s defeat, to vacate their positions.
With the growing concerns from its members, the party’s hierarchy through its National Advisory Committee (NAC) took a first step by setting up a nine- man committee to look into the reasons for the party’s loss in the election and to give recommendations to the party as to the way forward.
Therefore, in consonant with the nine-man committee’s recommendations, the APC, on Thursday, 22nd November, 2018 informed its membership in a press conference held at its headquarters on Railway Line that pursuant to the National Advisory Committee’s (NAC) decision, the party on 20th May, 2018 established the Nine-man Committee with a mandate to investigate the circumstances leading to the party’s performance at the 2018 elections, and to make recommendations to the NAC. In addendum to that, the National Secretariat of the APC also stated that it was pleased to inform the membership that a Constitutional Review Committee has been established by the NAC and is mandated to start the task of revising the APC 5th December 1995 Constitution and submit their findings and recommendations to the NAC for appropriate action.
According to the National Secretary General of the All Peoples Congress (APC) Party, Ambassador Alhaji Dr. Osman Foday Yansaneh, NAC has set up a Monitoring Committee with the mandate to monitor the processes leading to the implementation of the recommendations and the Strategic Road Map of the Nine-man Committee. He disclosed that APC is a prominent political party that responds to changes adding that most political parties in Sierra Leone emanated from the APC.
The erstwhile Minister of Mines and Marine Resources who is the Deputy Chairman and Leader of the APC, Honourable Minkailu Mansaray updated that in their party they do not cast blame on individuals but rather on the systems and structures set-up. In his submission, he urged members that were selected to measure up and leave up to the expectations of the party. He however, demanded for members to take the stage for proper identification before inaugurated them and handed the old Constitution to them with blessings.
Some of the eminent members appointed were Lansana Dumbuya ESQ, Abu Bakarr Kalokoh ESQ (USA), M.S. Bangura(Germany) of Rapid Hunt Unit, Dr. John Musa, Warah Serry-Kamal ESQ, Honourable Isata Kabia, Sulaiman Bobor Kabba, Mohamed Sheridan Kamara, as the list goes on. It all ended when they were called on an emergency meeting by the National Scribe of their party.
With this development in the APC, many Sierra Leoneans especially party supporters and sympathizers are optimistic that the party will bounce back come 2023 election.
By: Allieu Badara Kamara
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