Post a comment
The long running brouhaha that engulfed the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) after the 2018 presidential elections defeat will soon reach its climax after the party choose its 2023 presidential standard bearer.
It could be recalled that the party was on tenterhooks whilst it was finding possible ways of mending fences with the rebellious National Reformation Movement (NRM) that took a legal suit against it that ultimately led to the court slamming an interim injunction to all party activities.
The situation became even more compounded when Alfred Peter Conteh joined the NRM in the fight against the current national executive led by former President Ernest Bai Koroma. The NRM and Conteh insist that the life span of the current national executive had expired and that it should give way to a new crop of executive members to handle the affairs of the party leading to its National Delegates’ Convention (NDC).
The number of flagbearer aspirants eyeing the highly coveted position has reportedly reached 20 and according to reliable sources, they include the 2018 standard bearer, Dr. Samura Kamara, the Big Six coalition consisting of Dr. Richard Konteh, Kemoh Sesay, Amb. Alimamy Koroma aka Petito, Palo Conteh, Lawyer Kalokoh, and John Bono Sisay. The others are Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara aka JFK, Dr. Kelfala Marah and reportedly two interested people from the US and 3 from UK. Four others are known to harbor the same intention including two females.
It is no secret that there has been tension between those that have already come forward to declare their ambition for the party’s 2023 flagbearer position. It got to heated sometime this year that the party Chairman and Leader, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma had to summon the Big-6 and Samura Kamara to a meeting at his retirement lodge in Makeni to caution and counsel them to be tolerable and amicable towards each other.
According to The Exclusive Newspaper, Ernest told them that he was tired of receiving information about the wrangling between their supporters which, he said, was affecting the smooth running of the party. At the meeting, Dr. Richard Konteh reportedly speaking on behalf of the Big-6 said they would not want a repeat of what happened in 2018. He therefore, demanded that they want a level playing field for all.
