It is to the testament of APC reformists in the NRM that we can now boast that the 2022 APC Constitution is a democratic constitution that is in league with our national constitution. It was the young guns of the party who took the challenge to the party’s then leader former President Ernest Bai Koroma to submit to the wisdom of a party that elects instead of selecting its leaders as it would put the decision on who leads the party much like the decision of who lead the nation in the hands of the voting public. After sailing that difficult period in the party’s history, the APC party remains obedient to the tenets of democracy as the only party with truly republican constitution.
The APC Constitution is SUPREME. As a party dedicated to the obedience of the rule of law, democratic good governance and application of the procedures that govern the governors, it is a threat to these principles that define the party when certain ideas are being floated that insinuates of a secret agenda to usurp constitutional provisions in the interest of those trying to circumvent the party’s supreme law.
According to the party’s pre 2022 constitution and the 2022 constitution, any member of the party that has attempted to win the presidency of the state after two attempts automatically becomes an ex-officio member of the party and has in effect become a party elder. The term limitation on the presidency or leadership of the party is in line with the limitation on the leadership of the country.
In the national constitution each president is allowed two term limits that may not be consecutive after which that individual is expected to exit the stage for other Sierra Leoneans to step up to lead the party and country.
“Therefore all this talk of either allowing or that Dr Samura Kamara will be the party’s flagbearer in 2028 must stop. The APC constitution is the party’s supreme law and must be obeyed. Actually it must be obeyed by Dr Samura Kamara than any other partisan because as the party’s leader he is also the defender of our constitution. If we allow for Dr Samura Kamara to go for a third attempt trying to win State House then we should not be upset if president Bio changes the national constitution for him to seek further terms as head of state after his second term. If Dr Samura Kamara does it then we should not take it personal and protest and scream and shout if president Bio does the same thing to the country’s constitution,” pointed out a civil society activist that contacted FORUM NEWS.
According to APC activists, there is not a dearth of leaders with the requisite training, education and proven track record in public administration in the party, adding: “As a matter of fact we are that party that boasted that we have more than one thousand Alpha Khans to replace the cross-carpeting former partisan.”
The staunch APC supporters alleged that there is a plan for Dr Samura Kamara to seek the flag and leadership of the party by proposing that either the party’s constitution is amended to suit his purpose or about it the same way president Bio did in the SLPP even before he won the 2018 presidential elections.
“A lot of us admire Dr Samura Kamara. We see a man with high integrity and morality that has held many important jobs and executed his positions with distinction. We therefore expect him to understand that if the tripartite process by which he is hoping to get electoral justice for last year’s presidential election that was stolen from him does not work out, then we expect him to bow to the party’s constitutional protocol on his term limitation seeking the party’s flag. Being an elder in the party is a position of respect. You will be someone that the party will always need for your ideas, advice, support and local and international connections that we can tap into for the success of the party,” another civil society activist noted.
As a former party leader, the civil society activists cum APC supporters said Dr Samura Kamara will be in an elevated position, one that even the party’s and country’s president will respect and whose advice he or she will always seek. Ex officio members belong to the party’s elders who are indispensable to the planning and running of the party therefore Dr Samura Kamara must not feel as if he will be abandoned in the political wilderness.
“That is so far from the truth. Dr Samura Kamara was cheated of two presidential victories. He remains the flagbearer with the most delegates’ votes ever at a convention. He will never be considered as dried up and useless. The party and our future leaders will always need him in cabinet or whatever capacity. It is just that as someone that is a true democrat and respecter of the rule of law, we expect him to be preparing to exit from the party’s flagbearer race and step aside for others to have a try. The 2022 APC Constitution is supreme and must be absolutely obeyed by all without exception,” concluded the APC activist.
