By Henry Kargbo
Following the 24 June 2023, multitier elections in the country, the National Returning Officer and Chief Electoral Commissioner, Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) Mohamed K. Konneh has on Tuesday 11th July 2023 announced results for the Local Councils seats allocation in different cities and districts.
The Ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) pulled the highest seats of two hundred and seventy 270, whilst the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party pulled two hundred and fifteen 215 seats.
The People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) has 6 seats and National Grand Coalition (NGC) emerged with two seats.
Announcing the results at the ECSL headquarters on OAU Drive Tower Hill in Freetown, the Chief Electoral Commissioner and National Returning Officer, Mohamed K. Konneh informed journalists that there were six hundred and seventy-nine (679) polling station results entered in to the result database representing 91.31% of all polling stations in district.
According to Konneh, the total number of votes cast is 159,281 with a percentage voter turnout was 82.82%. he added that there were 210 invalid votes representing 0.13% of vote cast.
In a break down analysis of total council seats allocation won by each party, the ECSL Chairman revealed that the APC won only two seats in Kailahun District, while the incumbent SLPP won twenty-seven seats.
In Kenema City Council, he continued, APC won three seats, SLPP won sixteen seats.
For Kenema District Council, Konneh said that the APC won two seats and the SLPP won twenty-five seats.
Koidu New Sebenhun City Council, the APC secured five, the PMDC three and the SLPP eight seats.
With regards Kono District Council, the APC was able to secure seven, seats, PMDC three and the SLPP fifteen.
The results got a twist when the Chief Returning Officer started announcing districts that are widely accepted as opposition strongholds. Bombali District, the opposition swept nineteen seats and the SLPP won two seats.
Makeni, APC demonstrated political dominance by securing fourteen seats, SLPP with a seat.
In Falaba, the SLPP secured ten seats whiles the APC closing in with eight seats. Koinadugu APC twelve while SLPP secures seats.
Result emanated showed the APC establishing itself as an opposition stronghold by securing twenty-five seats with only four seats for the SLPP.
Regardless of the presence of the NGC in Kambia, APC maintained a comfortable lead with fifteen seats, SLPP six and the NGC two seats.
Kerena district that happened to be the birthplace for the APC presidential candidate, Dr. Samura Wilson Kamara, the APC won eighteen seats leaving only three seats for the incumbent SLPP.
Port-Loko City Council, APC won eleven seats and the SLPP two seats, whiles the district council, APC won all twenty-four seats.
Bo City Council, APC four seats, incumbent SLPP fourteen seats. For the Bo District Council, APC secured two seats and the SLPP twenty-five seats.
Bonthe City council, APC secure only a seat while the incumbent SLPP secured ten seats, not surprisingly, APC do not have any seat which implies that the SLPP won all nineteen seats.
Moyamba District Council, the APC won four, SLPP eighteen, Pujehun District Council, SLPP won all twenty-four seats.
In Western Area Rural District Council, APC won seventeen while the SLPP secures thirteen seats.
Western Area Urban District Council that constitute the country’s capital and its environs, the opposition APC won twenty-two seats while the SLPP is left with eighteen seats.
Mohamed K. Konneh appreciated the media, Civil Society Organizations, political parties, domestic and foreign election observers for their roles in the just concluded June 24 Election in Sierra Leone.
He noted that though there were challenges along the line, “Sierra Leone is still a learning country,” Konneh stated.
