By Hassan Osman Kargbo
The All People’s Congress (APC) Party has voiced strong opposition to the recent decision to postpone the 2025 Decennial National Population and Housing Census to 2026, alleging political interference and a deliberate attempt to undermine constitutional timelines.
Speaking at a press conference attended by development partners, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and members of the media, the APC party’s leadership expressed grave concerns over the stated reasons for the deferment, particularly the claim of inadequate preparedness by Statistics Sierra Leone. The party believes that this justification conceals a calculated political manoeuvre designed to distort democratic processes and delay the electoral boundary delimitation process.
“The rationale advanced for this deferment obscures a more troubling reality,” said the APC representative. “The purported lack of preparedness identified by the UN Assessment Mission appears politically contrived to subvert constitutional timelines and manipulate democratic processes.”
Central to the APC’s argument is Recommendation 38(b) of the Tripartite Committee Report, which stipulates that if a census report is released less than 24 months before a general election, its data should not be used for boundary delimitation. The APC believes the delay is a strategic move to prevent the use of updated census data for the upcoming elections, a development they warn could seriously impact democratic integrity and development planning.
“The intentional delay raises grave concerns about the Government’s commitment to democratic norms and its willingness to adhere to constitutional obligations and mutually agreed frameworks,” the party emphasized.
The APC underscored the critical role that accurate and timely census data plays in national development, highlighting its use in planning for education, health, agriculture, and poverty alleviation programs—particularly in rural communities. The postponement, they warned, risks undermining these essential development efforts.
“The census also serves as a principal source of data for electoral processes,” the APC representative noted. “Therefore, a delay in obtaining accurate and credible census data will obviously affect development planning in its entirety.”
Calling for accountability, the party demanded full transparency from Statistics Sierra Leone regarding the technical and administrative lapses that led to the postponement. They stressed that a credible explanation must be provided to the public and to Sierra Leone’s international partners.
“This press conference is organized to register our concern and to demand full disclosure of the lapses that warranted the postponement,” the spokesperson said. “We also aim to raise national and international awareness about the broader political and developmental consequences of manipulating or delaying the census for partisan advantage.”
The APC also used the opportunity to urge civic actors—including civil society organizations, democratic institutions, and the media—to play a proactive role in monitoring and ensuring accountability in the execution of the census.
“We are calling for transparency, accountability, and timely implementation of all processes within the framework of the 2026 timeline,” the statement continued.
Despite its criticism, the APC reiterated its willingness to support a credible and constitutionally compliant census process. The party pointed to the establishment of its own Census Technical Committee as evidence of this commitment.
“In the interest of national development and democratic governance, we are ready to support the Government and Statistics Sierra Leone,” they concluded.
The press conference ended with a renewed call for stakeholders to ensure that the 2025/2026 National Population and Housing Census is conducted transparently, professionally, and in line with constitutional expectations.
