With Joseph A. Kamanda
The 2022 constitution of the All People’s Congress (APC) party is being strangled to death or mere theory by particularly the executive of the party. Nothing but upholding the supremacy of its constitution would give the APC a smooth sail and judicious legs to stand on as the party progresses.
That the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) reformers and democrats have long called for strict adherence to the letter of their party’s 2022 Constitution, well over six months after the contentious June 24, 2023 presidential election, is a legitimate concern that should have been addressed by the party’s hierarchy even before now.
The letter addressed to former presidential candidate by the National Secretary General, Lansana Dumbuya, instructing Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara to hand over to the party keys to his ex-office at the national party secretariat is a mere catch-up. Critical-minded APC partisans would want to know why the delay in doing so since the elections were declared over. Is the APC scribe, lawyer Dumbuya, waiting to be pushed to act as a stooge? Up your game Mr SG! The APC party is set for rapid reforms and if you are not prepared for transformative internal changes then join the rest of the double failures in the parking lot.
For the secretariat, 11A Old Railway Line, Brookfields, it is never too late or it is better late than never to get it back on track, thus there is certainly no turning back. The APC has spoken loud and clear of the supremacy of the party’s 2022 Constitution, sending flawless signals that the APC party is bigger than all its members and followers. As an institution the APC has what it takes to make and unmake people as and when required and no member can therefore ever grow taller than the party! Besides, whenever the party takes a position within the legal framework of the laws of the institution in sync with the laws of the land, nothing will reverse such moves. The only punctuation will be the famous party anthem; the APC VICTORY SONG. So in this trending case of leadership transition, the APC has strongly demonstrated the supremacy of the party’s 2022 Constitution. And there is no reverse to babysit double failures at the party’s national secretariat at Old Railway Line in Freetown. All the people are anxiously waiting for the much anticipated National Delegates’ Conference whenever it comes.
The position of reformers and democrats remains as clear as a snow on the issues of sustenance of internal democratic values and the whole challenges of leadership transition, since elections were declared over by the ‘self-imposed’ government. That is why APC democrats and reformers strongly hold the candid views that there should be no room for the recycling of selfish and over ambitious politicians seeking a third chance for the presidential candidacy of the party come 2028. For them – reformers and democrats – it should not be business as usual, as it is time for failed and twice defeated presidential and vice candidates to retire to the parking lot, to get to where they can better serve as respectable ex-officio members of the APC party should they really deserve such honours. By so doing, delegates will be chanced enough to with informed decision elect politicians with fresh ideas and right solutions to address national problems and internal party issues.
While commending the push cart APC national secretariat for setting a brighter precedent, though it is somehow late, or what can be described as a catch-up action against the outgoing leadership of Dr Samura Kamara, I am mindful of the facts that the team under retrospect had run two unproductive wasted terms – spanning 2018-2023 – with Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara at the helm of affairs. Dr Kamara should not leave his executive behind; they should park and take exit together like they came in after the last NDC. The entire national executive should be told to exit the stage after they have shown themselves to be disrespectful poor dancers. Good dancers are never urged to leave the stage amid the show. With the people’s seal of strong disapproval, backed by the party’s 2022 Constitution, Dr Samura Kamara and his team deserve no applause and should all honourably leave APC headquarters and give democracy a chance as required by law.
This is due to growing dissenting views and opinions within the party, that Dr Samura Kamara and the national executive have exhausted their chances and they must therefore allow other selfless APC partisans to demonstrate leadership qualities by way of dedicating their time, energy and resources to party work, programmes and activities for the general good.
The following paragraph is what Article 47 (a) and (b) the APC 2022 Constitution says about national party leadership and deputy after every presidential election.
“Where the National Leader fails to be elected President of Sierra Leone he shall relinquish the position of National Leader six months after the final declaration of election results by the National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, notwithstanding any petition filed in the Supreme Court or pursuant to any law; and such position shall remain vacant until another election for the Party’s presidential candidate is conducted pursuant to this Constitution.”
Adhering strictly to the above mentioned APC 2022 Constitutional provision, Dr Samura Kamara and his crew should step aside. He has specifically tried his best twice and failed; meaning his best is not APC’s best. Others must be tried as well as demand by true democratic spirit of equity, justice and fairness.
The APC grand norm is explicitly clear on transition that leadership must change in the party, after a specific period following election if a presidential candidate fails to win as per law. The law is always the law…there is no bad law. So Dr Samura Kamara, who has long registered his firm commitment to respecting the APC laws, said in one of his recent statements: “I strongly respect our party’s constitution, and I have no intention of breaching any part of it…”
We are grateful for such a commitment and with an action which has provided clarity on the matter. This must be put into practice with full compliance to the letter of the APC 2022 Constitution. Truly actualising this will let Dr Kamara be considered a man who matches his words with actions, not, as most would do, with the proclivities of consolidating their holds on powers anymore.
Moving forward, the popular call now by APC partisans and secretariats in Freetown and across the country and beyond is immediate leadership reforms for the progress and development of the country and the APC party ahead of the next NDC.
The call for reform, to a very large extent, interprets and resonates with the facts that the failed APC leadership and team serving on borrowed time should take their hands off, take a back seat and allow a healthy democratic contest this time around at the next NDC, where a new national executive will be elected. The APC needs a courageous executive that will return the party to State House in 2028…not cowardice, bad, selfish, wicked political dwarfs and poor negotiators, who deliberately failed to protect APC supporters’ votes in the controversial June 24 polls.
The APC does not in any way need weak leaders going into the next election. Rather, the party needs a fearless politician who is willing and ready to lead from the front, a leader who will be blessed with the mandates and verdicts of delegates at the approaching NDC; not an imposed one like the one for 2018 and 2023.
The people are fed up and tired of voting in vain imposed presidential candidates who are always defeated. That is why the NRM position is therefore a cause for concern to emerging APC leaders, that in as much as membership registrations are ongoing, leadership reform should not be downplayed. It is matter of must!
Henceforward, any attempt by defeated candidates who have run twice to go for a third term should be strongly resisted by the party, as such a move will be politically counterproductive. It will also serve as a bad precedent in the APC party and to democracy in particular, which is why it should not be encouraged.
The APC is bigger than its members and should be able to regulate and control them by way of fairly managing the emerging complex political transition in the party with fairness, equity, and justice, to create a level playing field and give all contenders equal access to the existing democratic opportunities as its true name applies: All People’s….
The reason is that too many chances have been taken by past and present leaders against the constitutional and democratic wishes of other partisans. Never again the APC shall revert to those odd experiences. And tendencies by any politician to exceed his/her limits should be vehemently rejected by the people. The APC must, therefore, conduct its affairs in sync with the national constitution and in line with global democratic trends, and more so in adherence with the party’s almighty 2022 grand norm.
The call of the National Reformation Movement (NRM) urging the APC leadership to adhere strictly to the party’s 2022 Constitution is a legitimate concern that needs to be urgently taken into consideration by the highest decision-making body of NAC, to make sure Dr Samura Kamara and his failed team do not consolidate their grip on the party’s leadership and power.
Recycling Dr Samura Kamara for the 2028 presidency is undemocratic and unpatriotic. He is a retiree and not the only politician in the APC. He ran in 2018 and in 2023 against the wishes of many of his internal opponents in the APC, but couldn’t make it.
So, fair enough for a political situation wherein the APC party is not in short of good leaders, Dr Samura Kamara should give space and ample time to others to try their chances and see what exactly what they are capable of offering the APC as part of their democratic rights.
