Ibrahim Sorie Sillah has been announced the winner of the town Chief Election of Funkudeh town in the Northern District of Kambia on 1st March,2o24,

His victory comes after the town has gone a decade without a substantive chief. Funkudeh town is in the Koya Section, Samu Chiefdom.

Since the death of Pa Adikali Yillah, the last to rule the town as caretaker, the position has been vacant.

On the day of the election in Samu Chiefdom headquarters town of Kichon, a large number of Funkudeh town residents who are the eligible electorates assembled at the Court Barry to vote between Sillah, the now winner and town chief, Mohamed Turay, his main challenger.

But Turay did not show up at the election venue for a reason everyone including Pa Alimamy ‘Tormentor’ Turay, the Section Chief of Koya, and Lansana Turay, the Chiefdom Speaker, who served as the elections returning officers could not tell.

According to the Chiefdom Speaker, the date has been set for the election, and it won’t be changed, especially so when they do not receive either a letter or phone call from the other candidate or any of his party.

“We’re going ahead with the election, and we will make sure voting takes place. We will announce the winner and he will become Funkudeh town chief today,” the Chiefdom Speaker said.

The election lasted for over two hours and its outcome saw Ibrahim Sorie Sillah winner after the Chiefdom Speaker made the final announcement. Sillah secured 105 votes while his opponent scored zero (0).

“By the powers conferred on me as the returning officer of the Funkudeh Town Chieftaincy election by the Paramount Chief of Samu Chiefdom, I hereby declared that Ibrahim Sorie Sillah with 105 votes is the winner and town chief elect of Funkudeh town,” the Chiefdom Speaker made final pronouncement.

At that particular juncture, there was a reverberating sound of jubilation by supporters of the winner. The Speaker warned all those present to celebrate within the confines of the laws of the land to avoid conflicts.

Sillah, the elected Town Chief thanked his people for reposing confidence in him. He called on his people to cooperate with him to move Funkudeh town forward. “I’m a town Chief for everyone in Funkudeh, not for a selected set of people,” the Town Chief elect stated.

The singing and dancing of traditional songs in Soso, the dominant ethnic group in the area climaxed the occasion.