By Jesmed Foday-Mamie Suma
I do not belong to either of Sierra Leone’s two dominant political parties—the SLPP or the APC. The historical record of both parties explains, in large measure, the deplorable political, economic, and institutional condition of our nation today. Together, they laid the foundation for many of the systemic failures Sierra Leone continues to endure.
That said, no democracy can function without a strong, credible, and fearless opposition. An effective opposition is not a luxury; it is a democratic necessity—particularly under a government increasingly characterized by repression and intolerance of dissent.
Unfortunately, the All People’s Congress (APC) is currently unable to play that role.
The reason is structural and political, not accidental. Much of APC’s present leadership remains compromised by the findings of the Commission of Inquiry established by President Julius Maada Bio to examine the last decade of APC governance. The report contains serious and damning findings of corruption and misappropriation implicating nearly all senior party figures.
President Bio’s response was calculated. By prosecuting only a select few while leaving the majority untouched, he effectively placed the APC leadership under a permanent cloud of legal vulnerability. The message was unmistakable: challenge the government too forcefully and prosecution may follow. As a result, APC’s leadership has been reduced to a cautious and muted opposition, unable—or unwilling—to confront the excesses of the state.
For APC to regain relevance, it must first undergo honest internal reckoning. The party must create space for new leadership with genuine electoral appeal rather than continuing to erect barriers that stifle emerging talent.
Equally critical is APC’s failure to correctly identify its greatest internal obstacle. Some within the party still regard a former leader as its most valuable asset. This is a dangerous miscalculation. In reality, his continued influence has become APC’s greatest liability.
Driven by an insatiable desire to control the party and its future, he has presided over APC’s gradual weakening. His role in enabling Julius Maada Bio’s rise to power is well known among serious observers of Sierra Leonean politics and deserves sober reflection.
Internally, the damage was most evident during the 2018 flagbearer process. In the lead-up to that election, nine potential candidates were privately led to believe they would receive his endorsement as successor. This duplicity entrenched factionalism, paralyzed internal consensus, and encouraged prolonged infighting—even among candidates who knew they lacked a realistic path to national victory.
In the end, all were discarded, and a candidate was imposed on the party—not because he represented its strongest electoral option, but because he was perceived as manageable. The consequences were predictable. Rather than strengthening APC’s prospects, the imposed candidacy weakened the party’s appeal and credibility.
Until APC confronts these realities honestly and decisively, its prospects for a meaningful breakthrough in 2028 remain dim.
This persistent failure of credible opposition leadership is precisely the vacuum that gave rise to the National Grand Coalition (NGC)—and it also explains the sustained hostility the party continues to face from those who fear its potential to disrupt the status quo.
It further explains the ongoing attempts by Dr. Kandeh Yumkella to either control or dismantle a party he once helped to create but later abandoned. In resigning, he left behind committed party members who had invested trust, energy, and sacrifice in the NGC project—individuals such as Dr. Dennis Bright and many others who stood firm for the cause of building a genuine alternative political future for Sierra Leone.
What has followed is not merely internal disagreement, but a deliberate effort to neutralize those perceived as capable of reviving the party into a credible national force. Sustained attention has therefore been directed toward silencing or sidelining voices viewed as capable of rebuilding NGC into a viable counterweight within Sierra Leone’s political landscape.
I do not personalize this struggle lightly. Resistance is inevitable when entrenched interests are challenged. Yet I remain steadfast—tenacious, courageous, and undeterred—because the stakes are far greater than any individual ambition. Sierra Leone means too much to me for silence or retreat to be an option. If resilience and sacrifice are required to help free our people from the grip of failed leadership, then that is a responsibility I am prepared to carry.
Sierra Leone does not suffer from a shortage of political parties. It suffers from a shortage of political courage, internal democracy, and accountability. Until these values are restored—within opposition parties as much as in government—our democracy will remain fragile, and our people will continue to pay the price.
