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The opposition All Peoples Congress has protested its repeated exclusion from key activities of the 2026 Population and Housing Census and has called on Statistics Sierra Leone to grant both major political parties equal monitoring access to safeguard the credibility of the exercise.
In a letter to the Statistician General and Chief Census Officer dated 1st August 2026, APC National Secretary General Lansana Dumbuya Esq. expressed concern over the party’s exclusion from the monitoring of cartographic mapping and the ongoing mock test of census tools. The party also cited Statistics Sierra Leone’s failure to acknowledge or respond to numerous correspondences on census matters.
The APC referenced public statements by SLPP National Publicity Secretary Moses Mambu, who stated on AYV that the ruling party has access to real-time data and final mapping results.
Mr. Mambu further disclosed that the second phase of mapping had been completed and the third had commenced, with an SLPP coordinating committee working closely with Statistics Sierra Leone to track mappers. The APC noted that this information was presented to the Census Advisory Committee on 20th May 2026.
The party said the differential treatment raises serious concerns about inclusivity, transparency and neutrality. It argued that political party monitoring, as was done during the Pilot Census enumeration in December 2025, is essential to uphold credibility and public confidence.
The APC added that even in development partner-led processes such as the UNFPA-supported Mock Test, its inclusion would provide an additional check to improve the questionnaire and acceptance of outcomes.
The APC stated that disaggregated results of the nationwide cartographic mapping showing enumeration areas per chiefdom and district have not been made available to the party.
To address the concerns, the APC called on Statistics Sierra Leone to grant equal access to monitor all census activities, publish disaggregated cartographic mapping results, and adhere to international best practice.
The party further demanded the publication of the Pilot Census Cartographic Mapping conducted between June and July 2025, the Pilot Census Enumeration conducted in December 2025, and the completed nationwide cartographic mapping including enumeration areas per chiefdom and district, sections per chiefdom, and localities per section.
Mr. Dumbuya reaffirmed the APC’s commitment to supporting a credible and constitutionally compliant National Population and Housing Census. The letter was copied to government, UN agencies, diplomatic missions and regional and international institutions.
