Hawanatu Sankoh (Intern from Central University)
Two opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Members of Parliament, Hon. Mohamed Bangura and Hon. Alfred Thompson, could lose their parliamentary seats pending a decision by the party’s upcoming national delegates conference, Opposition Leader in Parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, has disclosed.
The two lawmakers remain under suspension by the APC following their decision to defy the party’s directive to boycott governance institutions after the disputed June 24, 2023 general elections.
While the majority of APC elected officials initially refused to participate in governance processes, Hon. Mohamed Bangura and Hon. Alfred Thompson proceeded to take their oaths of office in August 2023, becoming the only APC representatives to do so at the time.
Speaking on the matter, Hon. Abdul Kargbo confirmed that both legislators are still serving suspensions imposed by the party.
“Those two MPs are currently under suspension by the party for now,” Hon. Kargbo stated. “When the party meets at our national congress, we will decide on what to do with them.”
The suspension of the two MPs dates back to September 2023, when the APC’s National Disciplinary and Grievance Handling Committee invoked Article 59 of the party’s constitution to investigate what it described as breaches of party directives.
According to the suspension letter issued at the time, the disciplinary action was based on what the party termed “continuous breaches” of official APC positions regarding the post-election boycott strategy. The party indicated that the suspension would remain in force pending the outcome of the inquiry.
Hon. Mohamed Bangura, a former Minister of Information during the previous APC administration, hails from Karene District and was born on December 7, 1971. Hon. Alfred Thompson represents the Western Urban District and officially took his parliamentary oath on August 8, 2023.
The developments continue to highlight lingering tensions within the APC over the party’s handling of the aftermath of the 2023 general elections and internal disagreements surrounding participation in governance institutions.
