The former executive members and their supporters from the affected constituencies made the clarion call yesterday in a news conference organized by the Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella Movement (KKYM) at the Kona Lodge Hotel at Congo Cross, Freetown.

In his opening remarks, the former SLPP Western Area Rural District (WARD) Chairman, Mr. Edward Nat Jones, who chaired the occasion, disclosed that the purpose of the news conference was to send a clear message to the current SLPP leadership, the citizenry and the entire world that the party has been thrown into the gutters because of the lawlessness of its national officers.

The chairman extolled the core values of the SLPP formed by their forefathers. According to Mr. Nat Jones, SLPP was formed in 1951 on the principles of national interest, democracy, respect for members and supporters, and the rule of law.

He charged that some people in the SLPP claim to be very popular but they hide under the popularity of the party, noting that without the popularity of the party, Brig. (Rtd.) Julius Maada Bio is nothing and that the so-called 38% he secured in the November 2012 presidential election was due to the popularity of the SLPP.

Mr. Jones also took a swipe at Julius Maada Bio’s Pa-O-Pa supporters in the National Executive Council (NEC) for promoting lawlessness in the SLPP, including Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu who, he said, has no character that respects the core values of the party.

“Pa-O-Pa is afraid of competition because they don’t trust themselves,” the chairman alleged, adding that the SLPP is in the graveyard because, according to him, its leadership isn’t worth it.

He emphasized that enough was enough and that they should start taking the bull by its horns, adding that if NEC fails to adhere to the Court of Appeal ruling on 5th June 2017 that only the lower level executives elections held on 26th November 2016 and 3rd December 2016 should be rerun, and that all other lower level elections in all other constituencies shall remain valid and undisturbed, there will be another litigation against NEC.

Mr. Jones described the SLPP’s NEC as a bunch of illicit who do not believe in the rule of law and have taken upon themselves to conduct the lower level executives’ elections in the affected 39 constituencies from zonal to constituency stages which, he said, contravened the Court of Appeal ruling.

He alleged that the tenure of the current NEC expired in August 2015 but the national officers did not want to step aside because they did not believe themselves.

The former SLPP Chairman in Kono District, Ahmed T. Pimbi reiterated that the SLPP of yesteryears had core values for democracy and its general membership. He however lamented that the current SLPP has a short method which he said was very crooked.

Pimbi compared the current NEC to a broken vehicle that would not be capable of taking passengers to their destinations, or a canoe that is destined to capsize. He severed his relationship from the SLPP and sent a clear message to Alhaji Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella to make up his mind now as they were willing to join his bandwagon.

Speaker after speaker also called on the former UNIDO Director-General to establish a new political party as they strongly expressed the belief that he has what it takes to deliver Mama Salone.

According to the former SLPP District Chairman in Port Loko District, “let us forget about the SLPP, they are of no use. Let us have our own focus that can take us to State House,” while the other speakers called for a speedy action now since the next national elections are barely eight months to go.

Another speaker, Mr. Alusine Sillah, who claimed to have served the SLPP for twenty-one years said, “If I support KKY, it is not because I hate Maada Bio but he cannot deliver Sierra Leone which is crying for change.”