National Grand Coalition (NGC) founder and leader Dr Kandej Kolleh Yumkella will replace president Julius Maada Bio after next year’s elections, reliable SLPP sources have told this press. The political bad blood between the two is now at an end . A reconciliation deal is beiy brokered between two Political Personalities all done in the party’s interest.

If all goes as planned Yumkella will replace Vice President Mohamed Jalloh Jalloh as SLPP (Since Leone People’s Party) flag bearer for next years elections. It is already quite clear that Bio will not mak it in the polls, and if he fails , he go down as an ordinary member in the party.

After 2023 polls, Bio will be relevant only owing to his self-decorated status as SLPP in alongside his deputy, Juldeh Jalloh became leader and deputy leader respectively following a consitutional manipulation done by the sacked Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Anthony Brewah.

Kandeh Yunkels will take from that point after 2023 Elections to provide leadership for the party until such a time they decide for a flagbearer convention. The date will be set by the party leadership.
By that time the foundation to have the NGC leader as Flag-Bearer might have been created have been created. Yumkella’s flag-bearership will continue on to that time, and can even go in for another round until he became President.

In December, 2021, President Bio manipulated again to become flag bearer for next year’s polls Despite the controversy that hangs on Bio, he is determined to go in for the elections next year.

Yumkella is also expected to fight similar political battle after he would have become flag bearer and President in a party of his ancestors.

To be flag-bearer twice or three times in a row is not peculiar to SLPP The main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) resorted to similar plans with ex président Ernest Bai Koroma at the helm.
The former President became APC standard bearer in 2002 after former High Commissioner to UK Eddie Turay took an exit from the party’s flag bearership.

The former President went in again for the flag twice and became President in 2007. Koroma and Bio’s innings for their party’s flags is a template for Yumkella. it only bothers on Yumkella’s political acumen and experience.

From recent experience flag-bearers in the two political parties do not contest once but twice.

President Julius Maada Bio contested the flag-bearer elections not once but three times in successione ran for the party’s flag in 2012, and lost the elections to President Ernest Bai Koroma. His defeat did not pull him down, but bounced back to become flag-bearer for 2018 polls ignoring all odds. He overlooked the annoyance and anger of his fellow party members who bad hoped to see Bio’s name go down in the list of unofficial members of the party.

Bio’s role in the party would have been less significant had he succumbed to the wishes and aspirations of his fellow men in the party.

The inception of the reconciliation between Bio and Yumkella started in the northern town of Kambio, Yumkella’s hometown.

The SLPP flag bearer hopeful formed a party known as the National Grand Coalition (NGC) no platform was created for him to compete with Bio who was already SLPP’s crowned prince at that time. The NGC leader is a dominant personality in Kambia having Parliamentary seats to his credit in the 2018 elections. He has been quite critical of government’s maladministration , but would not hesitate to honour hesitation extended to him by the party leadership.