Elected councillors of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) at the Freetown City Council have initiated steps to appoint an acting mayor to oversee city administration in the absence of the substantive mayor, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, whose All People’s Congress (APC) party has withdrawn from governance activities.

SLPP’s Moses Mambu confirmed that the acting mayor will be presented to the party and the government, and will steer council operations until the substantive mayor returns.

The move follows a directive from the APC leadership in late February 2026 ordering all its elected officials—including Members of Parliament, mayors, councillors, and other representatives—to withdraw from all levels of governance.

The APC’s boycott was triggered by the appointment of Edmond Sylvester Alpha as Chief Electoral Commissioner and Chairman of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), a decision the opposition has described as “a direct assault” on the internationally brokered Agreement for National Unity signed in October 2023. The party issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the appointment to be withdrawn before proceeding with the boycott after the government moved forward with the confirmation.

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Mayor Aki-Sawyerr has confirmed her participation in the boycott, stating in a recent interview that while she remains the elected Mayor of Freetown and continues to use her official vehicle, her withdrawal from certain government activities is part of the APC’s political protest, which she described as an exercise of democratic rights. “My message to Freetonians is that I am working for them,” she said.

The political stalemate has increasingly paralyzed local government operations. Reports indicate that the lack of political approval linked to the boycott has made it difficult for councils like the Freetown City Council to access funding for essential services, including waste management. In early March, Minister of Local Government Amb. Tamba Lamina convened an emergency meeting to address the financial and operational crisis at the council following the suspension of access to funds, which disrupted sanitation services across the capital.

Public frustration with the disruption appears to be growing. A recent opinion poll found that 76 percent of Sierra Leoneans view the boycott negatively, with 68 percent believing it undermines democracy.

The SLPP has previously voiced concerns about the functioning of the council under the current leadership. In February, Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh attributed the “ongoing non-performance” of the Freetown City Council to what he described as the poor political leadership of Mayor Aki-Sawyerr, citing allegations from SLPP councillors regarding exclusion from committee leadership and unpaid entitlements.

SLPP National Chairman Sir Jimmy Batilo Songa has called on the Minister of Works and Public Assets, Dr. Denis Sandi, to collaborate with SLPP councillors to restore functionality to the council . Songa proposed several measures to ensure sustainable operations, including monthly engagement sessions between SLPP councillors and ministry officials, and the establishment of a structured leadership framework within the council.