Political power struggle within the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) over who exactly takes over the leadership of Sierra Leone’s Grand Old Party (OGP) when Julius Maada Bio shall have taken exit as leader of the SLPP and as President of Sierra Leone is looming large, and it keeps confusing the first gentleman of the nation.
From the first family to the least member of the SLPP, all are engaged in the all-out succession war within. It cuts across districts, regions, constituencies and beyond borders, as if all of them have been secretly clued by Bio that the SLPP shall continue in office after the 2028 election, though Bio knows very well that he and his SLPP party are set for a smooth transition come 2028 like his predecessor, Ernest Bai Koroma, did in 2018.
The battle line is being drawn between the likes of the wife of the President, Mrs. Fatima Bio; Chief Minister Dr. David Moininah Sengeh, ex-Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon Mohamed Sidi Tunis; Dr. Alie Kabba; Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally; former National Chairman John Openjo Benjamin; Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkela; Hon. Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, to name just a few, who are aspiring to succeed Bio in 2028. whether they really have what it takes to serve in such a national leadership capacity is left to be determined by delegates at the SLPP convention, where votes are expected to be cast for the right man in the right place, not based on sentiments but competence in the face of democratic fair play.
With senior members in mad rush vying for the party’s national positions of their choices, most hope that they (SLPP) won’t hand over power to their main rival, APC, in the much talked about election in few years to come. But certain pro-SLPP media handlers specifically at GLOBAL TIMES in Freetown, Sierra Leone have opined that no matter the magic played by their party, the SLPP won’t make it to State House in 2028, a secret Bio is also fully aware of but hardly tell his boys. Rather he keeps raising hopes of the party faithful that he would end up endorsing candidate A B C and XYZ, placing the party at a critical stage ahead of the polls as no one knows his/her fate.
SLPP members at national and diaspora chapters remain much uncomfortable and uncertain with the state of affairs as there is a proclivity of Bio imposing his choice of candidate on the SLPP, no matter the repercussions.
At a recent public statement, Bio reassured all that he won’t make the Koroma mistake, that is to say he must play by the rules of his party by way of ‘choosing’ for them another SLPP candidate for the Presidency. How is that possible is only left with a sitting President such as ex-President Muhammadu Buhari did in the case of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
With the ongoing power struggle, Henry Moseray Caulker and Prince Kallon of the SLPP UK/I chapter who felt aggrieved took the SLPP to court in that part of the diaspora. The SLPP national executive in Freetown states the two didn’t follow due processes in seeking redress measures for their concerns; therefore, critically weighing the magnitude of UK/I contributions in the re-election of the SLPP and Bio in 2018 and in 2023, the party’s leadership dispatched peace makers in the persons of the National Secretary General, Umaru Napoleon Koroma; Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Mathew Nyuma; and the ex-National Chairman, John Oponjo Benjamin to settle the matter in the UK ahead of the SLPP National Delegates’ Conference (NDC). The negotiators are also in the UK to ensure that the situation does not further culminate into a last minute political battle within the SLPP.
The latest power struggle is seemingly rendering the Presidency incapable of controlling the team anymore amidst growing economic and governance challenges, which has been exacerbated by an increasing tax burden. Though tax proceeds hardly reflect on the national economic output. Yet, the Bio regime highly considers tax as its principal source of revenue.
Governance responsibility coupled with leadership failures in handling and addressing internal power struggle in the SLPP are constantly distracting the President and his entire administration to an extent that one can safely say that Bio is now worried about his messy six years scorecard, a period used to intimidate his political opponents, instead paying much premium on nation building through steady economic growth as his predecessors did.
The drug scandal rocking the country, with its huge negative impact on the image and reputation of Sierra Leone the world over, is another problem this SLPP regime is contending with. The issue of hosting one of the world’s most wanted drug dealer and trafficker also causes Bio sleepless nights. Thus far, governance tasks and moral obligations remain unaddressed, made worse by failures in meeting flagship programs, deliverable benchmarks for feed salone, Big Five game changers, to name some. In fact, projects under the Bio rule are more of less window dressings. Nothing seems to be going on. Everything is stalled.
Nevertheless, Bio’s ministers, deputies, directors, commissioners, chairmen, and leading heads of MDAs are bent of pursuing their respective SLPP flag bearer ambitions in diverse ways.
The succession battle is looming large with fragmented groups and divisions of SLPP partisans in factional groups of Presidential aspirants’ camps everywhere across the political landscape. The One Country, One People drama is unfolding under the watch of failed Bio Presidency.
Divisions amongst ruling partisans have escalated to a peak of undermining state governance, resulting to poor service delivery; leaving Bio with little or no alternative but halting all flag bearer campaigns by cabinet ministers and other SLPP members.
In a bid to dodge Bio’s ban of politicking, over-ambitious SLPP flag bearer aspirants resolved to hiding their ambitions under the guise of doling-out humanitarian gestures to people and communities. They now design their political campaigns as humanitarian gestures, especially during Ramadan by donating food stuffs to people as if they truly care for Muslims.
At the peak of the month of fasting, flag bearer aspirants of both SLPP and APC were seen everywhere across the nation donating food stuffs as Iftar, Tajud, as well as for Lilatul Qadr prayers, all done to win hearts and minds of delegates at the approaching National Delegates’ Conference.
For the incumbent SLPP, it is about who owns where and who gets the highest number of votes at the convention to succeed Bio as leader, and as President if the SLPP will continue after 2028.
However, much as people are desperately aspiring to succeed Bio, they should equally be serious about accomplishing their national assignments as ministers, deputies, directors, commissioners, chairmen and the like, considering the fact that the nation comes first in whatever personal they do.
Besides, Bio should be taller than all of those trying to succeed him, knowing fully well that most of them actually lack what it takes to serve as President, minister and deputies, but were considered because of their political patronage, and should thus not downplay their respective national assignments. When once they deliver at such levels, then they can be individually earmarked or considered for higher political positions.
Ministers and all senior government workers should stay put and focus on delivering respective portfolios instead of jumping here and there for the SLPP flag bearer seat, confusing the Presidency and the country as a whole.
