Depending on who you talk to the financial standing of many of the people expected to take part as delegates in the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) National Delegates’ Congress (NDC) is cause for concern as many of them are reportedly susceptible to being bought out by aspirants who are desperate enough to want to represent the party but lacking the skill to articulate their campaign platforms well enough to convince voters to elect them without using cash violence. The fear is that allegedly broke APC delegates could be a problem for the party preparing for the 2028 general election.
As the APC is busy with its primaries and getting ready for the NDC slated for August 2026, there is fear among concerned partisans that the party and country will not be getting the right candidates for the positions up for grabs because many of those expected to vote, the delegates, are financially strapped hence vulnerable or susceptible to being cajoled out of their votes by the candidate spending or forking out the most cash.
During a frank discussion with grassroots and ranking members of the APC, they confided in FORUM NEWS that they are worried that instead of getting the right candidates with the caliber or potential to win on the national scene the party could see a rise in the number of aspirants who win their positions solely because of what they spent on the delegates instead of on how well they articulated their political platforms.
‘The fear is that with the APC having been in the political desert or wilderness for so long and with many partisans either out of public or government work or not known for owning businesses or having other sources of revenue streams, we are afraid that many aspirants for lower levels, regionals, districts, and other National Executive positions in the party would use cash violence on the unsuspecting delegates. Elections are really about who spends the most. However, we do not want to encourage this practice here in Sierra Leone where candidates are known for buying the people’s votes by forking out huge sums of money without saying anything on how they plan on solving our most pressing national or local issues. Our fear is that delegates’ votes will be influenced by financial gains instead of the candidates with the best chances of winning based on their manifesto promises,’ said a grassroots member or supporter of the APC.
According to some members of the current APC National Executive, they are apprehensive that the people or country may not be getting the right candidate with the experience, training or background this time around but will instead be getting value for money.
‘Take a look at some of the people who have come out to say they want to be flag bearer. What you see or hear is that this one would spend this amount at this community or spent that amount at this organization or gave this amount to this bunch of people. They go around the country spending money without saying how they plan on solving the issues President Julius Maada Bio and the governing SLPP have not been able to solve. Yes, after the Port Loko delegates conference we will get people to fill in positions but I am afraid that we will not be necessarily getting the people with the best chances of winning on the national scene,’ said an APC executive member who spoke to FORUM NEWS on condition of anonymity.
As the APC embarks on its primaries and preparing for its delegates’ conference, concerned partisans are calling on the party to ensure that delegates are not financially vulnerable to the point where they will be hoodwinked by aspirants waving or dishing out huge sums of cash all in the interest of winning their crucial votes.
‘The SLPP is not going into the 2028 race to lose so we need strong candidates that are also known and respected nationally if the APC is going to kill any and all hopes of a third term under PAOPA/SLPP. The delegates should know that we will be stuck with whoever they decided to elect hence they must make sure that they elect the candidate with the best chances of winning. Will the person spending the most cash be able to convince members of the opposition to vote for him or her using cash violence or based on how well they can convince opposition voters? So we need people with ideas, not just the cash to trick broke APC delegates out of their votes,’ another APC executive member informed FORUM NEWS.
Meanwhile, the concerned grassroots and ranking APC executives that commented on this pressing matter that they say will influence who the party puts forward for 2028 are calling on all delegates to ‘man up and have the integrity not to be insulted by people who want to enter our politics spending huge sums of money they only hope to recoup after being elected as members of our party led Government of Sierra Leone. These people only want to enter our politics to enrich themselves at the detriment of the poor and desperately needy people of Sierra Leone.’
‘We expect delegates to know that people will try to buy their votes because they consider them to be desperately broke after our eight years in the opposition wilderness. The only advice we have for them is to have enough love for the party, the people and country for them not to compromise on delivering the best candidate for the positions, not the one spending the most money but not saying anything. They are the types that depend on using the same cash violence non-performing elected officials use to mask their inadequacy or ineptitude. We want leaders, not people with money trying to get richer using our Government of Sierra Leone as a means,’ posited a grassroots APC member.
