By Osman Kargbo

The newly nominated running mate of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party has made a resounding pledge to the party’s indefatigable and wise presidential candidate for the upcoming June 24 polls in Sierra Leone, saying: “I shall not let you down”.

Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah, an accomplished lawyer and Leader of the APC party in parliament, has rolled up his shirtsleeves and legal gowns to work in harness with the new messiah of Sierra Leone, Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, to liberate the country once again and make it an enviable haven of development, politically, economically, socially and culturally.

Sierra Leone was ‘abducted’ almost five years ago after the winning of the 2018 presidential elections, whose detailed and actual results are still a mystery, was fraudulently handed over to a group or faction of a party that has today turned the country to a hell on earth. But Chericoco, who also swallowed the bitter pill of that winning twist in 2018, has promised to work in harness with Samura Kamara till they win the June 24 polls and get to the State House at State Avenue in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

He said on the remarkable day of his nomination as running mate, at the APC headquarters in Brookfields, Freetown: “The task ahead is daunting, the opponent is fierce, desperate and worried but I have no doubts that Dr Samura Kamara will lead us to victory on June 24 and he will lead this country out of this current hardship.”

The APC running mate also said that already, Samura Kamara has demonstrated “the required stamina, hard work, competence, experience, vision and empathy to redeem Sierra Leone” from its current shackles of economic malaise, political brutality, social injustice, ethnic incompetence and diabolical modus operandi.

However, he calls on all, regardless of tribe, region and other affiliations, that “we all have a responsibility to support” Samura Kamara to hold Sierra Leone together, to maintain the peace while at the same time, ensure that APC’s victory is not stolen “so that together, we would build back our beloved Sierra Leone”.

Chericoco, who has put his head above the parapet all these daunting years to defend the APC and the people of Sierra Leone in and out of parliament, says further: “And for those who may want to tamper with the popular will of the electorate, think again! We will protect our votes and ensure that every vote counts. That job should start now and with Action and Commitment.”

The sage and immaculate running mate is wise enough to doff his hat to the grassroots as well as to the great and the good of the APC.

“Please permit me also,” he said, “to extend profound and sincere thanks to our former Chairman and Leader, former President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma and his former executive. His able and loyal deputy, now our Chairman – the ever-wise Honourable Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray; I am deeply grateful! The legendary National Secretary-General, now our deputy chairman, Alhaji, Ambassador, Dr Osman Foday Yansaneh; thank you very much! Along with our distinguished former chairman and leader, you have set a very high bar of service, and throughout these years, we benefitted from your wise counsel and strong support. We, therefore, owe it to you to continue to work together to bring victory to our party and solace to the people of Sierra Leone. I shall not let you down.”

He went on: “To our Honourable Members of Parliament, you trusted me and stood by me throughout these difficult years, I am deeply grateful!

“To the legal team, the TIIEMC and the good people in the ITGC, thank you for your immeasurable work. Immense thanks also to our esteemed National Advisory Committee (NAC), national and lower-level executives and to our extraordinary supporters, more particularly my dear women and vibrant youths. We are grateful and depend on you to redeem our nation from this uncaring SLPP government.

“To Comrades former flagbearer aspirants, I salute you for your selflessness in coming fully on board to support our brother and Comrade in the interest of our party and country.

“To the former running mate aspirants, it could have been any of you because you are all competent to serve in this critical position. Unfortunately, there was only one slot for only one of us. Our creator destined that this time it is me; so, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your interest in serving our party and country and for raising the momentum amongst our supporters. I implore you to kindly maintain the momentum as you join us in the national call to redeem our country. Every single one of us has resources, energy, experience and a vision regarding how you wanted to support our presidential candidate, I beseech all of us to pull together in pursuit of our common goal of winning the June 24 election.

“Finally, special thanks to my wife and family for standing with me throughout this journey.”

Hon. RM Bah, who has started the run to redeem Sierra Leone since he was nominated as running mate on Monday 13 March this year, has called on all Sierra Leoneans to join the race to redeem the country and make it glorious again, saying that all the plans of rigging the upcoming multitier elections shall go pear-shaped if the electorate vote massively for a change while all applying gimlet eyes to detect, reveal and unearth such evil plans.