Government is Ready to Work With Other Political Parties if APC Boycott Continues – Alpha Kanu

Sierra Leone’s Presidential spokesman, Dr. Alpha Kanu has reportedly warned that the government will begin engaging other opposition parties to carry out parliamentary work if members of the All People’s Congress (APC) fail to return to Parliament by March 24 this year.

Speaking on the matter, Kanu said the government would follow a step-by-step approach in addressing the continued absence of APC lawmakers.

“APC will know that there are laws in this country, if March 24th they didn’t return to parliament, we will call the second batch of APC parliamentarians; if they too did not go, we will call the third; if they too did not go to parliament we will leave them and turn to other people,” he stated.

Kanu added that the government is prepared to collaborate with other opposition parties, including the National Grand Coalition (NGC), the Coalition for Change and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), to ensure governance continues.

“We will call the NGC, the C4C and NDA politicians who were equally voted for by the people to work for them. I tell you those NGC, C4C and NDA politicians are more ready and willing to work for the people more than the APC,” Kanu said.

He stressed that the government’s position is grounded in constitutional provisions, maintaining that lawmakers who fail to perform their duties risk being replaced.

“The laws said it boldly in the constitution if you don’t work you will be replaced. Everything the president did was constitutionally right and the law supports it, we will replace them,” he said.

The statement comes amid an ongoing political standoff involving APC parliamentarians, raising dissatisfaction over the appointed of Edmond Alpha as the new Chairman of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL). The main opposition had argued that Alpha was part of the cabal that allegedly rigged the 2023 elections in favour of the incumbent President Julius Maada Bio and his Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).

The government’s latest remarks suggest a readiness to move forward with alternative political actors if the impasse persists beyond the stated deadline.