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First Lady Fatima Maada Bio has spoken out strongly about the recent SLPP National Young Generation Council elections in Bo, calling the process chaotic and unfair.
In a video that has been widely shared, she accused Engineer Francis Alpha Kallon and his team of bringing soldiers into Bo and creating a tense environment that affected the election.
Fatima claimed that one of Kallon’s men, dressed in a security uniform, fired a shot inside the election hall. She said the man was not a real police officer or soldier but was only pretending to be security. He was carrying a gun with live bullets and is now in custody.
Fatima also gave details about how the election was carried out, saying the process was full of problems. She explained that no proper ballot papers were used. Instead, cut-up white A4 paper was given to people to vote. She said there were 166 delegates at the venue, yet no official ballot papers were provided.
She described how the voting was done using a system where if someone wanted to vote for Maada Kemokai, they would place one piece of paper into his ballot box. If they wanted to vote for Francis Kallon, they would place two. Fatima said this system was strange and open to confusion.
She added that Kallon’s win wouldn’t have been an issue if it was done in a fair and open way. According to her, the process was not open, and only Kallon’s own supporters were allowed to watch what was happening inside the voting hall.
She also mentioned that Maada Kemokai’s wife was stopped from entering the hall. Fatima said Maada was there alone with his small group of supporters and was not given equal access. Meanwhile, she said Kallon’s team filled the hall wearing T-shirts with Kallon’s face on them, which she described as an act of intimidation.
Fatima also raised concern about the role of senior party officials. She said the National Chairman entered the hall hand-in-hand with Kallon and sat beside him while the election was ongoing. Even the Deputy Chairman was present with them, which Fatima said showed unfairness in the process.
She added that at least 50 soldiers were present in Bo during the elections and said they were brought in by Kallon himself.
The First Lady said that if the SLPP party wants to remain in peace, party leaders must step in. She made it clear that Maada Kabanja Kemokai and Francis Alpha Kallon are not above anyone else in the SLPP, and both should be called in and spoken to. She said the fight between the two men over the National Young Generation Leader position is putting the peace of the party at risk, which she believes is more important than any title.
The two people who contested the position of SLPP National Young Generation Leader were Civil Engineer Francis Alpha Kallon and Maada Kabanja Kemokai.
The situation has raised serious questions within the SLPP about how the youth leadership election was conducted and what must be done to restore trust.
But now, with the First Lady speaking publicly, more attention is on what really happened during the elections and what steps the party will take next.
