1 Comment 
Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Information and Civic Education, Bockarie Aziz Bawoh, has stated that the government firmly rejected a proposal by the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) to appoint a foreign national to head the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL).
Speaking on the matter on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, Bawoh said one of the recommendations presented by the APC during discussions was to bring in a Ghanaian citizen to lead the country’s electoral body. He described the proposal as unacceptable, emphasizing that it reflects a lack of trust in Sierra Leoneans.
“According to him, one of the recommendations made by the All People’s Congress (APC) Party which they never entertained was to bring in a foreigner, a Ghanaian citizen to head the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL),” Bawoh stated. He added, “They talk about patriotism and nationalism and they so distrust citizens of this country to the extent of proposing that the ECSL should be headed by a foreigner. We won’t accept that.”
The Deputy Minister further stressed that the government would not even allow such a proposal to be discussed. “We won’t reach to that level of distrusting our citizens to that extent, that the ECSL and the Office of National Security (ONS) should be headed by foreigners,” he said.
Bawoh also used the opportunity to defend the integrity of Sierra Leone’s institutions, recalling past political experiences. He referenced Joseph F. Kamara, who served as Justice Minister under the APC government, noting that Kamara openly displayed party affiliation while in office without causing controversy.
“With all the structures they are saying, when we existed in opposition, Joseph F. Kamara (JFK) who served as Justice Minister during their ruling, used to put on the APC crest while on Justice duty, and we never had problem with that because we are Sierra Leoneans,” Bawoh said.
He emphasized that undermining state institutions could weaken democracy, noting that governance relies on strong and trusted systems rather than individual interests. He also referred to past electoral disputes, stating that after investigations, certain issues were found to be technical.
Bawoh further cited the role of the judiciary, describing the Supreme Court as the highest authority in the country. He referenced the case involving former Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana, who challenged his dismissal under former President Ernest Bai Koroma. According to Bawoh, although the decision was contested, it was ultimately accepted after the Supreme Court’s ruling.
He concluded by addressing ongoing governance reforms, including the work of the Tripartite Commission, which he said is expected to guide future changes. However, he noted that until such recommendations are implemented, the 1991 Constitution remains the guiding legal framework.
“That is why we have called on the APC to go to parliament for us to debate those things because the Attorney General has already presented all the necessary documents to parliament,” Bawoh said.
The APC has not publicly responded to the Deputy Minister’s latest remarks at the time of reporting.
For our institutions to be headed by foreigners is nothing new. The military and the police have all been headed by foreign nationals during the presidenct of late Tejan Kabbah. Just as it is now, there were issues of distrust.