Following a very turbulent situation involving the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) that has resulted in lawsuits and injunctions against the party; the National Advisory Committee (NAC) has in an emergency meeting held yesterday in Makeni regional office of APC endorsed the Political Party Registration Commission (PPRC) ruling on the new constitution. A source has told Public Review last night.

According to sources from the meeting, the National Advisory Committee (NAC) of the party has made it clear that nothing is to change in the new constitution and that nobody is going to derail the party this time round.

The new development arises after one of the party’s stalwart Sylvia Blyden in a lengthy essay highlighted some loopholes regarding the legal ramifications that could affect the chances of the party in winning the 2023 general elections.

According to Sylvia Blyden, there are still outstanding issues relating to membership, delegates list and the mandate expiration of the current executive that still hangs in limbo.

She is of the opinion that the APC party could still face legal challenges in the court of law if these issues are not corrected in the new PPRC adopted constitution.

On the other hand, the external outreach of the party is adamant that since the PPRC has endorsed the new constitution, which is the legitimate body charged with the responsibility to regulate the activities of political parties nothing will derail the stance of the party membership in adopting the new constitution.

In his keynote address, the Leader and Chairman of the APC, former President Ernest Bai Koroma, noted in clear terms that the party has to move on more because the national elections are fast approaching. “The interest of the APC is bigger than all of our various aspirations more so as when 2023 elections are just around the corner and the party has to be more than united than ever before if only, we are to win 2023 elections,” The Leader and Chairman averted.

According to sources, the new constitution is far more democratic than the 1995 constitution that was adopted during times of emergency, and is deemed to be more inclusive and appealing to the different structures of the party including the youth and wing of the party.

Moreover, the NAC which is the second most powerful organ and decision-making body of the party after convening of the national delegate’s convention have also endorsed the new constitution.

Therefore, NAC has decided to move the party forward in what is deemed as a tight contest between the ruling SLPP and the APC ahead of the 2023 general elections.

According to Public Review Newspaper, this happened following a number of objections advance by certain party members of the APC in relation to the party’s gazette 1995 reviewed constitution.

It is now incumbent upon the external outreach of the party to popularize the newly adopted constitution to the general membership of the party.

Notable in the said meeting was the age bracket for the leadership of the Young People’s Congress (YPC) which is 18-35yrs in the new APC constitution among others and the Party has unanimously agreed to go by it as accordingly ruled by PPRC in the interest of moving forward.

In attendance were senior party stakeholder’s executive of NAC members as well as certain general members of same. And the whole meeting ended well with the Party’s victory song.