The main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) has in a press release issued Thursday 11 January 2024 disclosed that the party is confident of former president Dr Ernest Bai Koroma’s innocence and stands with him.

‘The APC is utterly disappointed with, and livid about the disgraceful persecution of our former National Chairman and Leader, His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma. The former president diligently and inspiringly served our nation as a two-term democratically elected president,’ the release reads.

At the end of his presidency, the release signed by APC National Secretary General, Lansana Dumbuya Esq., added that former president Koroma gracefully relinquished power in a demonstrable respect for Sierra Leone’s constitutional term limit.

It noted that former president Koroma conducted peaceful, transparent, credible, free and fair election which ushered in the then opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) candidate Julius Maada Bio as president.

The release states that since former president Koroma left power in 2018, he has dedicated his time and energy on promoting peace, democratic good governance and smooth transitions across Africa. It pointed out that it is therefore ‘exceedingly hurtful and totally unacceptable for a noble statesman of such high repute and distinguished democratic credentials to be tarnished with political vendetta and accusations of an involvement in a coup d’etat.’

The press release furthered that those ‘trumped-up treason and other charges’ represent a dangerous precedent and a credible threat to the peace and stability of Sierra Leone.

It said that the APC party has shown incredible restraint in respect of what is clearly seen as a sustained political witch hunt, intimidation, harassment and persecution, as promised by the president Bio during his campaign.

‘While we continue to condemn the events of 26 November, 2023, and all forms of unconstitutional change of government, we also strongly abhor the deliberate democratic backsliding and imposition of the increasing tendencies of a one-party political hegemony in Sierra Leone. Several of our supporters and members at constituency, district, regional and national levels have been arrested and detained for weeks and months without charge. This has been the pattern since 2018, it adds.

It continued; ‘We have reached a point where the APC would have to face its circumstances with all its strength and wherewithal. We stand firm with our former Chairman and Leader, as well as our National Organising Secretary comrade Bai Mahmoud Bangura.’

The APC strongly urge the SLPP to retract from this dangerous, unproductive path, and take concrete strides to promote peace, rather than hate and political divide.

‘All we have is our beloved country, and it is our responsibility to work together to unify it,’ the press release notes, and encouraged all to remain vigilant as the APC party is confident of former president Koroma’s innocence. It informed that the APC will meet to consider its next step which will be communicated to the public accordingly.