Former Flagbearer of the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) in Sierra Leone, Dr Samura Wilson Mathew Kamara, on Tuesday 3 October 2023 attempted to address the worrying post elections division in his All People’s Congress when he told his press conference that the APC needs to dialogue with President Julius Maada Bio and his Sierra Leone People’s Party.
“Let me inform everybody that this dialogue, with international mediation, and with firm approval by our party leadership, was the key product of my short interaction with President Bio, and which was considered by both of us as the most peaceful recourse to resolve the existing political impasse, while bringing back sanity and confidence to all our people.
He assured his supporters that: “You are always on my mind; in my prayers; and in my plans, to build back a stable, peaceful, united and prosperous nations.”
He also addressed concerns from members of his party, who claimed to have voted for him in the June 24 elections and were now threatening his life as their former flagbearer.
But Dr Kamara said the dialogue was “meant to give peace and diplomacy a chance in solving an impasse that can only heighten the existing political tensions, leading very likely to continuing lethal violence and political intimidation.
“Most importantly, the dialogue is expected to also help us to unravel the truth, in a peaceful manner…indeed the dialogue offers a unique opportunity for Sierra Leoneans to right the wrongs”.
Ahead of his press conference, which was apparently meant to dismiss the fact that the APC was already divided into factions with different interests, some vexatious party members on social media and WhatsApp, had referred to Dr Samura Kamara as a traitor, accusing him of taking part in secret meetings and probably agreeing with President Maada Bio on certain conditions in the name of dialogue and peace.
“You’re Dead and Buried, Dr Samura Kamara, If You Fall into Maada Bio’s Dialogue Trap. May God Almighty forbid this to happen because, if as leader of the main opposition APC party and the President-Elect of the June 24 elections, you (Samura) stupidly decide to allow Maada Bio to go for a second term, your political career will not only be over forever, but you would have put your entire Samura Kamara generation into serious jeopardy.
“Many patriots have risked their lives to support you. Samura, make sure you do not disappoint the people when you hold your press conference,” a party member, Abu Shaw in London, wrote recently.
Another member, Mallam, said to be a leading APC social media activist, had come out publicly to raise concerns about the conduct of Dr Samura Kamara since the June elections.
“Hopefully, it is just a mere smoke. Because if this rumour metamorphosed into the fire, be rest assured…” he threatened.
Some hardliners in the APC think that Dr Samura Kamara should be treated the same way as Hon. Mohamed Bangura, the acting APC leader in Parliament and one other, who defied the party’s position to boycott governance under the SLPP.
But Alfred Peter Conteh, the former Chairman of the Interim Transitional Governance Committee of the APC, had been vocal about the actions of its current leadership.
He warned that boycotting the governance of the country as a way of challenging the outcome of the elections would destroy the party’s political existence.
“We will not allow unpatriotic members of the APC to destroy our party’s political existence,” he said in a tweet.
