Former running mate for the National Grand Coalition (NGC) in the 2018 elections, Andrew Keili has vindicated the ‘the exasperated’ reactions of Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella (KKY) made on a series of audio messages that flooded social media late Sunday evening.

On Sunday evening several audios were leaked on social media where Dr. Yumkella made some fascinating comments with regards the issue with some party members questioning his decision to be close with the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). The Samu Chiefdom parliamentarian’s comments left some members of the public and his party berserk -with majority left with the belief that he will soon return to the SLPP again.

From the audios, Dr. Yumkella affirmed that he will continue to cooperate with the ruling government insofar as for the interest of the nation and added that his future has already been ordained by the Almighty.

Keili, commenting on the issue the following day, said that one of the reasons for KKY’s behaviour is because he is still recovering from the loss of his wife, Philomena Yumkella. He said this is because his colleague has to deal with his wife’s health long before she passed away.

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He added that there is no disunity between the party chairman, Dennis Bright and Dr. Yumkella and that both are working on the interest of the party.

Keili said the decision of forming an alliance with the SLPP for the June 2023 elections will be made as a party with already laid down procedures.

“NGC is not a one man show. The structures are working both with KKY and Dennis Bright,” Keili said.

He furthered that there is no disagreement between KKY and Bright and that both know their roles in the party. He, however, said that Bright is unhappy about the manner in which the Bio led administration has treated him.

He revealed that the party’s electoral body had long agreed to ‘explore strategic alliances’ with APC and other parties but failed to materialise.

The move of an alliance with the SLPP has already been condemned by party supporters and sympathisers with some calling out Dr. Yumkella to be ‘a sell-out.’

The NGC was able to poll over 40,000 votes in the 2018 elections -finishing third. Many of their supporters are Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora and young people who are frustrated with bad governance over the years from the two major political parties in the country.

This recent issue within the party has left some with doubt as to whether they will replicate or better their performance in the previous elections.