Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has expressed his views on the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party, suggesting that they lacked a compelling message for Sierra Leoneans during the previous election and currently.

Discussing the topic of education and the criticism from the opposition regarding the 22% budget allocation, which they believe isn’t delivering expected outcomes, President Bio highlighted that education has been his government’s focus since 2018. He indicated that this emphasis would continue, mentioning the opposition’s apparent disregard for education and their lack of support for its initiatives. “They don’t like education,” he noted.

President Bio further claimed that the opposition seems to thrive more when the populace is uninformed, potentially leveraging that to their advantage.

Regarding allegations about the June 24th election rigging, President Bio clarified that the constitutionally designated authority for conducting and announcing election results is the electoral commission. This body had overseen and declared the election’s outcome. He countered claims of international committees being responsible for declaring winners, which the opposition seemed to expect.

“Elections everywhere have never been without dispute; these are highly contentious issues everywhere in the world including the United States of America,” President Bio stated.

He further emphasized that any parties with grievances should approach the court for resolution. Reflecting on his own experiences, he said, “Go to the court, that was what I did when they said I lost the election.” He reminded that every political party had a representative at polling centers, implying transparency in the process. He concluded by suggesting that the APC’s reluctance to go to court might stem from their awareness of the election’s legitimacy.