By: Hassan Osman Kargbo
Dr. Samura Kamara emerged victorious at the All People’s Congress convention sometime in 2022 where he was given the mantle of leadership to lead the APC party into governance in the 2023 multi-tire elections. Dr. Samura defeated the likes of Dr. Richard Conteh, Keifala Marrah and a host of other APC comrades for the flagbearer position. The grassroots was optimistic for victory going into the 2023 election. The APC entrusted Dr. Samura for presidency, but at the end it turns out to be something else.
The aftermath of the 2023 elections loss is still fresh in the minds of the Apcains. The recent tripartite committee meetings have shed light on a significant leadership void within the APC which many say Dr Samura Kamara has forsaken the APC party by allowing the Tripartite recommendations to favor the current regime instead of the general public.
The APC executive and the general membership really relayed on Dr. Samura to act robustly to protect the votes of the APC but Dr Samura failed to protect the votes of the electorate. Also, the participation in the Agreement for National Unity and subsequent tripartite committee meetings seems to serve a dual purpose – absolving them of the mishandling of APC election which resources were allegedly stolen and the outcome of the Tripartite seems not in favour of the APC party and Samura Kamara can’t do anything absolutely.
It could be recalled that in 2018, he came from the blues, unnoticed and unpopular. Yet, his abrupt call to politics, left a mark of confusion within the APC. Everyone who knew very well about how he emerged to lead the party in two presidential elections argued that Former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma sold out the victory of the party at such a crucial time. And at this pick, Dr Samura Kamara cannot withstand the pressure to protect the votes of not only his party supporters but also Sierra Leonean as a whole.
Despite his unpopularity in 2018, he had the full backing of the party hierarchy and the grassroots supporters. He had the chance to run for two times, and he had the chance to lose for the second time.
President Bio beat him twice, in 2018 and in 2023 even though there were a lot of irregularities in the electoral process.
A lengthy statement had been read by him to the press and his supporters even before the Tripartite recommendations came out, and now after the recommendations had come out, his address to the nation had send a lot of signals that he had forsaken the APC party and its supporters. Many say Dr. Samura Kamara he had been robbed off the elections for the second time by the same person and he can’t do anything maybe for obvious reasons.
Dr. Samura Kamara really save our democracy or did he betray his people, Citizens asked?
Moreover, Dr. Samura Kamara went into the dialogue with a case of corruption, bowling over his head. Will you expect him to go against the government, whose mouth his hands were already in? Did he really betray the party for his own selfish desires?
Consequently, there’s no re-run of the elections, Dr. Samura Kamara is walking free, APC has returned to serve, but the grassroots supporters are betrayed.
