Dr. Samura Kamara, a prominent figure in Sierra Leone’s political landscape, has experienced a career marked by dramatic highs and lows. A seasoned economist and technocrat, Kamara’s political rise and subsequent decline underscore the complexities of leadership in Sierra Leone, particularly within the All People’s Congress (APC) party, where internal strife, personal ambition, and external factors have shaped the trajectory of his career.

Kamara’s career in public service began in the 1980s, where he made a name for himself in the financial sector, first working with the Bank of Sierra Leone and later in international monetary organizations. His reputation as a competent economist earned him significant recognition, but it was his entry into the political arena that thrust him into the spotlight.

Kamara’s rise to political prominence was largely due to former President Ernest Bai Koroma, who, in an unexpected move, handpicked him as the successor to lead the APC in the 2018 presidential elections. This decision was met with a mixture of surprise and dissatisfaction within the party, particularly among key party executives and grassroots supporters. Kamara was largely an outsider to the APC’s top echelons, and his selection raised eyebrows, especially in Makeni, the heartland of the APC, where supporters were not prepared for the appointment of a candidate with no deep-rooted connection to the party’s historic power structure.

Despite initial resistance, Kamara’s leadership was eventually accepted by the grassroots, though the party’s senior figures remained skeptical. This rift within the APC, however, was not new. It echoed the internal divisions following the controversial removal of former Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana, who was ousted by Koroma in 2015. This rift left lasting scars within the party, and Kamara’s leadership became synonymous with this wider fragmentation, which would later contribute to the APC’s downfall in the 2018 elections.

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In 2018, Kamara was officially nominated as the APC’s presidential candidate, but his campaign faced significant challenges from the outset. Many senior APC figures, who were still loyal to the party’s former leadership under Koroma, refused to campaign for him, believing it was Koroma’s responsibility to sell Kamara as the party’s flagbearer. The lack of unity within the APC, combined with Kamara’s relative unpopularity, made it difficult for him to present a unified front to the electorate.

In what became a crucial moment in Sierra Leone’s electoral history, the APC’s internal disarray led to the party’s defeat. Julius Maada Bio, the candidate for the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), emerged victorious, capturing the presidency in what many saw as a rebuke of the APC’s failure to resolve its internal conflicts.

Following the 2018 loss, the APC convened a committee to assess the reasons for its defeat. The findings of the committee confirmed what many had suspected the party was deeply fractured, with unresolved disputes that had eroded its strength both internally and externally. The committee’s report warned that unless these divisions were addressed, the APC would struggle to win the 2023 elections.

The period following the 2018 defeat saw a surge in Kamara’s popularity among the grassroots, with many of the APC’s supporters rallying behind him as the next president of Sierra Leone. However, despite this surge of support, the party’s leadership continued to be mired in conflict. The APC failed to address the growing discontent among members, particularly those who felt excluded or sidelined by the party’s internal power struggles.

In the wake of these tensions, the National Reformation Movement (NRM) emerged, challenging the APC leadership in court, arguing that the old guard should step aside to allow for new leadership. This move further exacerbated divisions within the party and left the APC in a state of disarray. While the NRM’s challenge was met with resistance from the party’s high-ranking officials, a settlement was eventually reached, but this relief was short-lived.

Soon after, Alfred Peter Conteh, another key figure in the APC, took the party to court, arguing that the party’s executive mandate had expired and that new leadership was needed to restore the party’s fortunes. Conteh’s legal battle added another layer of complexity to the APC’s internal crisis, making it difficult for the party to focus on the upcoming 2023 elections.

As the 2023 elections loomed, the APC was still grappling with the fallout from the 2018 defeat and the ongoing leadership struggles. Kamara, despite his grassroots popularity, remained entangled in the party’s infighting, and his ability to unite the party was severely hampered. The APC’s failure to reconcile its internal factions created a significant disadvantage, leaving the party unable to mount a cohesive challenge to the ruling SLPP.

By the time the 2023 elections arrived, the APC was deeply fragmented, and Kamara’s political prospects were undermined by years of unresolved conflicts and legal battles. While the APC had once been the dominant force in Sierra Leone’s politics, its internal turmoil ultimately prevented it from regaining power.

The political journey of Dr. Samura Kamara reflects the broader challenges faced by Sierra Leone’s political parties in navigating internal divisions, external pressures, and shifting allegiances. Kamara’s rise to prominence within the APC was marked by strategic decisions and the endorsement of powerful figures like Ernest Bai Koroma, but his fall from grace can largely be attributed to the failure to unify the party and resolve its longstanding disputes. His story serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers of neglecting internal cohesion in politics and the impact that fractured leadership can have on the future of a political party.

As Sierra Leone moves forward, the lessons from Kamara’s journey will likely continue to shape the strategies of both the APC and other political parties as they navigate the complex terrain of Sierra Leonean politics.