AYV News, November 5, 2024
The Secretariat of Sierra Leone’s main opposition party, All People’s Congress (APC) has asked the party’s 2023 Presidential Candidate, Dr. Samura Kamara to vacate the premises of the National Leader’s office at their headquarters in Freetown.
In a letter addressed to Dr. Samura Kamara, the party’s Secretary General said it is unconstitutional for the veteran politician to hold on to the position of leader of the party six months after elections since he failed to win in 2023.
The party’s Secretary General, Lansana Dumbuya hinged his decision on Section 47 (a) (iv) of the new APC Constitution.
The said Section reads: “Where the National Leader fails to be elected President of Sierra Leone, he shall relinquish the position of National Leader six months after the declaration of results by the National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, notwithstanding any petition filed in the Supreme Court or pursuant to any law; and such position shall remain vacant until further election for the party’s presidential candidate is conducted pursuant to this constitution.”
The party said Dr. Samura Kamara agreed to vacate his position when they met last year in December.
“In that meeting, we candidly discussed the constitutional provision and your commitment to adhering to it,” the Secretariat said. “You candidly accepted without hesitation that your role as flagbearer and leader of the party would cease.”
The party added that their decision is also based on a meeting they held last year in December in which they agreed for Dr. Samura Kamara to lead the party in the Tripartite Committee and that his leadership in that Committee did not mean that he was still a leader of the party.
The Secretariat, in the letter, requested that their former leader vacate the office of the Leader at their party headquarters in Brookfields, Freetown since the Tripartite Committee has completed their work.
“We respectfully request that you return the keys to the National Leader’s office to the undersigned within a week of receiving this letter,” the Secretariat noted.
Political analysts have already predicted that there is a deep divide with the leadership of the APC and that this if continued, could cost them losing the 2028 elections.
Meanwhile, the former Presidential Candidate for the party is yet to respond to the letter.
