Sierra Leone’s All People’s Congress (APC) presidential candidate Samura Kamara on Tuesday called up the newly elected president Julius Maada Bio and congratulated him on his victory, according to Xinhuanet.
Kamara was in the company of his running mate, Chernor Maju Bah, the Secretary General of the APC, Lansana Dumbuya among others at their party’s headquarters in Freetown.
Later, in a formal congratulatory statement, Kamara and his party highlighted some concerns and called on the country’s electoral body, the political parties’ regulatory body and courts to always ensure a level playing field for all political parties during elections.
“However, we are calling on all supporters and members of the APC to join me as we show to the foreign observers, the International Community and the world that we are a peaceful party.
“The APC will continue to call for concerted efforts to restore public faith in these institutions, as their credibility is crucial for ensuring a just and fair electoral process in the future,” the statement reads.
The opposition leader also stated that his party, the APC, has decided to waive an earlier decision to challenge the election result in the Supreme Court, after an emergency National Advisory Committee (NAC) meeting.
In the hotly contested runoff presidential election, Bio of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), defeated Kamara of the APC after he pulled 56.17% of the votes, way above the threshold to avoid a run-off in the West African nation.
Immediately, Bio was declared the winner on Tuesday 27 June 2023, by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) and for the second time he was sworn in as president by the country’s chief justice.
Kamara, who said he would support Bio’s efforts to form a new government in the West African nation, following a tumultuous campaign that saw supporters of both sides subjected to violence and intimidation, is heeding calls by observer groups to maintain peace and build on the democratic gains of the country.
