AYV News, August 22, 2024

Supporters of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party have called on its general membership to let bygone be bygone and forge ahead in preparation for the country’s 2028 general elections.

The supporters noted that the Party’s defeat in the 2018 presidential election to the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) was a clear indication that the people of Sierra Leone were ready for change and that yet, rather than taking this as a cue to reflect and reform, the APC has continued to cling to the same old tactics.

From its inception in 1960 to its recent struggles, the Party according to the supporters, has had its fair share of triumphs and tribulations, but yet, despite these issues, the APC remained deeply entrenched in Sierra Leonean society.

In an opinion of a senior APC writer and columnist, the APC sought to redeem itself in the eyes of the Sierra Leonean people, adding that the Party returned to power in 2007 under the leadership of Ernest Bai Koroma, who promised to lead Sierra Leone into a new era of peace, stability and economic growth.

He said Koroma’s presidency saw some notable achievements, particularly in infrastructure development and healthcare, but it was also plagued by the same issues that had dogged the APC for decades: corruption, nepotism and disconnection from the needs of ordinary citizens.

“As Koroma’s second term came to an end in 2018, the APC once again found itself facing a crisis of relevance. The Party’s defeat in the 2018 presidential election to the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) was a clear indication that the people of Sierra Leone were ready for change. Yet, rather than taking this as a cue to reflect and reform, the APC has continued to cling to the same old tactics. The Party’s inability to evolve, to offer fresh solutions to the nation’s problems, and to connect with the younger generation, APC critics argue that it is a sign that it may be time for the APC to step aside that have defined its existence for so long”, the writer explained.

In this new democratic dispensation in Sierra Leone, the APC, if it did not recalibrate itself as the political force ready to take up governance, it risks becoming a relic of its glorious past. The Party’s inability to evolve, to offer fresh solutions to the nation’s problems, and to connect with the younger generation, APC critics argue that it is a sign that it may be time for the APC to step aside. Sierra Leone needs a political landscape that reflects the diversity and dynamism of its people.

Furthermore, the question now is not about the future of Sierra Leone about the APC’s future, the country to move forward, it needs political parties that are capable of addressing the challenges of the 21st century. It needs leaders who are committed to transparency, accountability, and the well-being of all Sierra Leoneans.

The importance of peace within the All People’s Congress Party can no longer be overemphasised. It is time that the Party moved on and braced up properly as they are the potential change Sierra Leoneans are likely to consider, come 2028.