By Mohamed Lamin Banya
The Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, has confirmed that she is still using her official vehicle provided by the council despite the decision by her party to withdraw from government operations.
In early March, the leadership of the All People’s Congress (APC) directed all its elected officials to withdraw from parliamentary and local council activities as a form of protest.
The decision followed the appointment of Edmond Sylvester Alpha as Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL).
Speaking in an interview with journalist Amadu Lamarana Bah, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr explained her position regarding the suspension of participation in government operations.
Responding to a question on whether she is still using council property, particularly her official vehicle, the mayor said she remains the elected Mayor of Freetown and therefore continues to carry out her responsibilities.
“I will tell you that we have withdrawn as a party from government operations as an opposition in protest,” she said.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr added that her decision to withdraw from certain government activities is part of the APC’s political protest, which she described as an exercise of democratic rights.
Like the mayor, it is believed that several Members of Parliament from the APC have also boycotted parliamentary sittings following the directive from the party leadership.
According to Mayor Aki-Sawyerr, the APC’s withdrawal from governance and parliamentary participation is intended as a protest, noting that the party will soon provide further explanation and clarification regarding the decision.
“My message to Freetonians is that I am working for them,” she stated.
This is not the first time the mayor and her party have withdrawn from government operations. In June 2023, shortly after the general elections, the APC rejected the election results, alleging that the polls were rigged.
As a result, the party boycotted participation in government institutions, including local councils and Parliament, a move similar to the current development.
