A
Blueprint For The APC Ahead of the 2028 Elections
The
nightmarish thought of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP)
potentially “stealing” the General Elections in 2028 should, by now, have
alarmed members of the All People’s Congress (APC) into seeking unity.
However,
it appears that some so-called “stakeholders” (or rather, fifth columnists) in
the APC are always ready to sell out their party to the SLPP if they are not
handed the party’s leadership on a silver platter—despite their age,
questionable character, and political inconsistency.
Sierra
Leone today, as noted by Reggie Cole in an article posted across several
WhatsApp forums on August 22, 2024, “finds itself in chaos—economically
crippled, politically fractured, and socially volatile.”
This
situation has arisen partly due to the APC’s failure, as the main opposition
party both inside and outside Parliament, to present a well-structured and
credible alternative to the unpalatable economic and political policies being
imposed by the Bio-led administration.
Since
2018, the APC’s leadership has shown little appetite for political power. It
has not provided the necessary checks and balances essential for nurturing
democracy. Instead, the party has seemingly transformed into a “Few People’s
Congress” or “Some People’s Congress” rather than the All People’s Congress.
Moreover, the APC seems to have lost its connection with the “grassroots” due
to needless and counterproductive intra-party conflicts, draining its energy to
effectively challenge the SLPP.
As
it stands, the APC appears unsure of the direction it wants to take in its
pursuit of political power in 2028. The party is once again, as it was after
the 2018 General Elections, split down the middle between two stubborn
factions, now engaging in a war of words on social media with mutual
disrespect.
One
faction advocates for “Electoral Justice” without clearly defining what it
entails, how it should be achieved, and what the outcomes should be. The other
faction, sarcastically dubbed “Agenda 2028,” believes the APC should focus on
preparing for the next General Elections, arguing that the 2023 elections are
“done and dusted.”
However,
this faction leaves many unanswered questions, creating room for suspicion. If
this faction believes that the last elections are now history, it must present
a viable blueprint for the party’s future direction.
In
my view, the way forward for the APC is a synthesis of “Electoral Justice” and
“Agenda 2028.” While the APC should pursue electoral justice, it must also
prepare for the next general elections in case electoral justice is delayed,
denied, or remains elusive.
It’s
worth noting that the APC’s 2022 Constitution provides guidelines on how the
party should conduct itself if it loses a Presidential Election and how it
should prepare for the next elections.
To
engage in a hypothetical debate, if the APC were to seek electoral justice, it
would likely need to use the Law Courts to compel the Electoral Commission of
Sierra Leone (ECSL) to produce the raw data from the 2023 elections.
However,
what happens if, after filing for electoral justice, the Chief Justice takes
six months to assign a judge to the case, the judge takes two years to hear it,
and after three years, the judgment is delivered? Additionally, past experience
has shown that Dr. Samura Kamara may not have the resolve to ask APC supporters
and sympathizers to take to the streets or engage in civil disobedience in
pursuit of electoral justice.
His
gentle nature suggests that he wouldn’t even call for a sit-at-home protest.
The Tripartite Committee, where the APC should have demanded electoral justice
without participating in the Report-signing charade at State House, ended with
little meaningful outcome for the APC.
In
my opinion, the real issue within the APC is neither the pursuit of electoral
justice nor Agenda 2028, but rather the outdated belief in self-entitlement
held by some “stakeholders.” These individuals strongly believe that without
them at the helm, the APC is destined to remain in opposition.
I
struggle to understand why it is still difficult for some “stakeholders” (read:
fifth columnists) to accept that what the APC needs now is a leader who has the
qualities necessary to win a national election. It doesn’t matter if one’s
grandfather or father helped build the APC headquarters at Brookfields; if a
“stakeholder” is divisive by nature and has a scandal-ridden character, they
should not be given the chance to lead the party.
Furthermore,
why is it difficult for some “stakeholders” to acknowledge that they are more
of a liability to the APC’s cause than an asset? Why do they refuse to accept
that they are not destined to lead the APC to a national victory, as evidenced
by intra-party events from 2017 to 2022? And why do some “stakeholders” harbor
such spite towards their “comrades” whose only fault is to compete for the
party’s Flagbearer position?
As
the saying goes, “a house divided cannot stand.” The APC must unite to
challenge the ruling SLPP, whether through the fight for electoral justice or
Agenda 2028. For this to happen, the party must engage in genuine
reconciliation, restructure itself fundamentally, and choose a leader who
cannot be blackmailed or is immune to manipulation by the Bio-led
administration.
Lastly,
the current APC media and communication outlets are disorganized,
factionalized, and often unprofessionally managed. The party must find a way to
channel these propagandistic energies into a more APC-centric approach rather
than their current Flagbearer-centeredness. And, let’s not forget, the APC
“grassroots” must tone down their anti-intellectual rhetoric.
In
conclusion, the APC’s success in the 2028 elections hinges on its ability to
unify its factions, address internal challenges, and present a coherent and
compelling vision for Sierra Leone’s future.