The National Chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Jimmy Batilo Songa, met with Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh at State House on Tuesday, December 10, 2025.

The meeting, officially described as a dialogue on party unity and governance, comes just days after a series of controversial incidents involving the First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, exposed apparent rifts within the ruling party.

According to official reports, the Tuesday meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between the party structure and the government administration. Chairman Songa and Chief Minister Sengeh discussed mechanisms to align SLPP policies with the government’s “Big Five Game Changers” and “Vision 2028.”

Chairman Songa reaffirmed the party’s commitment to “disciplined and people-centered” leadership. Dr. Sengeh, a senior SLPP member, commended Songa’s leadership and emphasized the necessity of a united front to deliver on President Julius Maada Bio’s development agenda.

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However, political analysts view the high-profile meeting as a strategic move to project stability following a turbulent weekend at the party’s national headquarters.

Tensions became public on Saturday, December 6, 2025, when the First Lady was temporarily prevented from entering the SLPP national headquarters in Freetown.

Dr. Fatima Maada Bio had arrived for the SLPP National Women’s Annual Conference only to find the building locked with a chain. Witnesses reported the office was empty, with no staff present to provide access. The closure temporarily halted the event, which was scheduled to honor President Bio’s support for women.

While the office was eventually reopened and the conference proceeded, the SLPP National Chairman, Jimmy Batilo Songa, was notably absent from the event.

Speaking at the gathering, SLPP Public Relations Officer Moses Mambu expressed strong dissatisfaction with the lockout, stating that “nothing can stop them from celebrating President Bio and Fatima Bio.”

The weekend’s events have intensified speculation regarding factionalism within the SLPP ahead of the 2028 elections.

During her keynote address on Saturday, the First Lady made comments widely interpreted as a critique of the party leadership. She asserted that the Secretary General is the “most powerful person” in the party structure after the Leader (the President), warning that “any Chairman who wants to succeed must work hand in hand with the Secretary General.”

These comments occur against the backdrop of rumored friction between the “Ebema” movement—which supports the First Lady—and the “Radical Inclusion Movement” (RIM) associated with Chief Minister Sengeh. Reports suggest Chairman Songa is perceived as an ally of Dr. Sengeh, a potential successor to President Bio.

Compounding the internal friction, former SLPP Secretary General Umaru Napoleon Koroma issued a statement this week rebutting allegations regarding missing party funds.

Responding to a circulating video in which the First Lady reportedly claimed she deposited 1 billion Leones (1 million new Leones) that subsequently vanished, Koroma called the allegations “baseless.” He has invited the current executive to conduct a forensic audit of his tenure (2017–2025) to verify that all expenditures were documented and legitimate.

Koroma urged party members to “tone down” divisive rhetoric that could jeopardize the SLPP’s unity and its prospects for the 2028 elections.