Osman Timbo of the All People’s Congress (APC) has described the party’s ongoing ward-level elections as an important milestone, tracing the moment back to years of constitutional and legal battles that shaped the party’s internal democratic journey.

Recounting the party’s history, he noted that in 2002 the APC attempted to amend its 1995 Interim Constitution, which contained the controversial “selection clause.” The dispute was taken to the Supreme Court, then presided over by his father, the late Chief Justice Dr. A.B. Timbo, who ruled that the proposed constitution had not been properly passed and ordered the party to revert to its 1995 Constitution.

Party officials at the time maintained that the “selection clause” had been introduced due to the civil war, stressing that the APC had always believed in a full electoral process. The Supreme Court ruling ultimately paved the way for Ernest Bai Koroma to emerge as Leader and Chairman of the party, ending a prolonged internal legal battle and setting the stage for the APC’s return to power in 2007.

Twenty years later, in 2022, Timbo reconted efforts to overhaul the party’s constitutional framework gained renewed momentum. He revealed that he made it a personal duty, alongside others, to help draft a new and progressive constitution under the Constitutional Review Committee chaired by Ibrahim Sorie Esq. Despite challenges and resistance, the reform process was completed.

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As ward-level elections got underway, he said images of buoyant, and at times rowdy, members queuing to vote reflected the restoration of internal democracy. While acknowledging that the process was not flawless in every location, he described it as largely successful and a promising start.

In the final analysis, however, observers within the party point to the largely unrecognised work of Alfred Peter Conteh as a key force behind the constitutional breakthrough. His prolonged political struggle with sections of the party’s leadership, they argue, created the pressure and momentum that eventually led to the drafting of the new APC constitution.

Though not always publicly credited, Conteh’s push for inclusivity and internal electoral reforms is widely regarded by some APC supporters as instrumental in reshaping the party’s governance structure, laying the foundation for the democratic processes now unfolding within the party.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HwzXw41Zg/