Sylvia Blyden Welcomes APC Ward Application Process, Raises Concern for Rural Aspirants

Former Social Welfare in the past APC government, Sylvia Blyden has welcomed the All People’s Congress (APC) party’s decision to open applications for ward-level elections but has raised strong concerns about the accessibility of the process for members in remote rural communities.

Reacting to the recent public notice issued by the APC National Secretariat, Blyden described the move as “a step in the right direction” and commended the National Secretary General for listening to her earlier call for the party to follow due process in announcing ward-level elections.

However, she warned that the current arrangement — which requires aspiring ward executives to obtain application forms solely from Regional Offices — unfairly disadvantages party members living in hard-to-reach areas.

Blyden cited examples such as aspirants in Mongo, Falaba District, who would be required to travel to Makeni to access forms, and residents of Kangama in Kissi Teng Chiefdom, Kailahun District, who must journey to Kenema. She described such travel as costly, stressful, and unrealistic for many grassroots party members.

She further expressed concern that some applicants could arrive at regional offices only to discover that forms are unavailable, potentially opening the door for frustration, bias, or deliberate obstruction by officials.

“This does not create a level playing field,” she noted, warning that the process could be manipulated against applicants who are not favoured by certain regional officers.

As a solution, Blyden strongly advocated for the APC to embrace digital access by making the application forms freely downloadable online through official party platforms.

“We are in the 21st Century. We left the Stone Age quite some time ago,” she remarked humorously, while emphasizing the seriousness of the issue.

She concluded by calling on the Internal Elections Management Committee (IEMC) to collaborate with the National Secretary General to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all aspiring ward executives nationwide.

The former minister ended her statement by once again thanking the party leadership for taking positive steps, while urging further reforms to protect inclusiveness and internal democracy within the APC.