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The All Peoples Congress (APC) appears set to continue its boycott of parliamentary and council activities, following a strongly worded official statement and a pointed reaction from senior party member, Alfred Peter Conteh.
In its statement dated April 14, 2026, the APC outlined concerns raised during its engagement with international moral guarantors, stressing issues of electoral integrity, governance, and what it described as failures to implement key national agreements. The party also criticised the timing of recent political developments, warning that such actions undermine trust in ongoing mediation efforts.
However, Conteh, reacting to the statement, argued that the core reason for the boycott remains unchanged: the appointment of Edmond Alpha as Chairman of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL). According to him, APC Members of Parliament who have stayed away from the Parliament of Sierra Leone cannot justify a return based on recommendations from what he described as “toothless International moral guarantors.”
He stressed that APC parliamentarians themselves have publicly stated they are acting on directives from party leadership, and therefore, any decision to return must come from that same leadership and not external actors.
“At this point, the party (leadership) that instructed you to boycott should be the one to advise you to return to parliament,” Conteh stated, dismissing claims that international mediators’ advice should influence the decision.
Conteh further argued that expectations for government compliance remain low, citing repeated assertions by government representatives that all tripartite committee resolutions have already been fully implemented. In his view, this undermines the relevance of ongoing international engagement.
He warned against what he called attempts to “fool the people,” maintaining that the party must remain firm in its stance. Conteh also called on APC leadership to demonstrate decisive direction and avoid giving undue importance to international actors whose influence has yielded little tangible outcome.
The development showcases a growing tension within political circles over the role of international mediation and raises questions about the immediate future of legislative participation by APC lawmakers.
