Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh has firmly dismissed the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) boycott of governance structures, declaring that government business continues unabated and that the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) will not wait for the opposition to participate.

“No, we are not waiting for APC; governance is in full progress because together #WeWillDeliver,” Sengeh wrote in a social media post that directly addressed the political standoff that has gripped the nation in recent weeks.

The Chief Minister’s comments come amid escalating political tensions following the APC’s decision to withdraw its elected officials from all levels of governance. The opposition party announced in late February 2026 that its Members of Parliament, mayors, councillors, and other representatives would boycott parliamentary sessions and council activities to protest the appointment of Edmond Sylvester Alpha as Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL).

Sengeh noted that Parliament remains in full session, comprising SLPP Members of Parliament, Paramount Chief MPs, and APC’s Mohamed Bangura—the sole APC lawmaker who has broken ranks with the party’s boycott.

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“When MPs hide from their duties and responsibilities and put party interests above the citizens, it tells you who they are,” Sengeh said. He praised Bangura for “putting his country above leaders like Aki Sawyer who are playing flagbearer politics,” a reference to APC’s national spokesperson and Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

The Chief Minister’s remarks align with recent statements from Speaker of Parliament Segepoh Solomon Thomas, who on Tuesday urged opposition MPs to end their boycott and return to legislative duties. “It is time for us to come to Parliament and commence the Republican Service. All other considerations must be secondary,” the Speaker said .

The political impasse has created particular turmoil at the Freetown City Council, where SLPP councillors recently nominated Councillor Ibrahim Gbla as acting mayor, citing the absence of Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, who is participating in the APC boycott.

Sengeh dismissed the controversy, arguing that service delivery matters more than political titles. “Service delivery in Freetown matters more than a Mayor and her Councilors who are chasing titles and robe photos,” he wrote. “It tells you what Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr cares about—whether someone is called ‘Acting Mayor’ or not.”

He added that the government is empowering Chief Administrators to fully perform their duties and serve the people, stating bluntly: “The People’s interest comes first.”

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr has rejected the SLPP councillors’ move, citing Section 16(3) of the Local Government Act 2022, which she argues does not provide for an acting mayor with executive powers. She maintains she remains the legitimate elected mayor and has described her boycott as a legitimate exercise of democratic protest rights .

The APC’s withdrawal from governance stems from longstanding grievances over the 2023 general elections, which international observers deemed flawed by “irregularities” and a “lack of transparency”. An Agreement for National Unity was brokered in October 2023 by ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Commonwealth, paving the way for the APC to end its initial boycott.

However, the appointment of Edmond Sylvester Alpha as Chief Electoral Commissioner in March 2026 prompted the APC to renew its boycott. The opposition has described the appointment as “a direct assault” on the unity agreement and has demanded Alpha’s immediate removal.

The party had previously threatened to suspend parliamentary activities in February 2026 following the arrest of its Secretary General, Lansana Dumbuya, over political statements related to the 2023 elections.

Amid the ongoing tensions, Sengeh has insisted that the government has fully implemented all eight resolutions of the October 2023 Agreement for National Unity. In a recent social media post accompanying images of the three-page accord, he stated that the government has “delivered on 100 percent of the commitments it signed up to”.

“Don’t take my word for it, I want you to read it yourself and confirm that we have done 100% of the resolutions we signed up for,” Sengeh wrote. “That’s what makes us a listening government and a government that loves dialogue”.

The APC has disputed this claim, with the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Sidi Yaya Tunis, stating that the party had requested a meeting with President Julius Maada Bio to present its objections but was not granted the opportunity, leaving the party feeling “marginalized and excluded from national discourse” .

A recent opinion poll by the Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) found that 76 percent of Sierra Leoneans view the APC’s ongoing boycott as negative, with 68 percent believing it undermines democracy.

Sengeh concluded his remarks by urging citizens not to allow those who “thrive in chaos and division” to shape the country’s reality, reaffirming that the government will continue to deliver services regardless of the opposition’s participation.

“Until the constitution is changed, it remains sacrosanct,” he wrote. “Nothing will stop the President and us from using it. When they say they are boycotting governance, it’s their right and they will also take responsibility for their actions.”