A former Secretary-General of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie, has asserted that several high-profile figures rumored to be eyeing the party’s 2028 presidential ticket—including First Lady Fatima Bio and Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh—are currently constitutionally disqualified from running.

According to Tejan-Sie, a legal practitioner and member of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC), the barrier lies in the specific membership category required to become a flagbearer: the “Distinguished Grand Chief Patron” (DGCP).

Citing the SLPP 2020 Constitution, Tejan-Sie explained that most of the “rumored” aspirants do not hold this title, a prerequisite under Article 16C for anyone seeking the presidential nomination.

“Because they are not a Distinguished Grand Chief Patron of the party, they cannot run for President. Even the First Lady Fatima Maada Bio,” Tejan-Sie stated. “Maada Bio is qualified but he cannot run again… But a lot of people rumored to be vying for the position are not qualified.”

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Tejan-Sie revealed that between 2020 and 2025, the party’s NEC has not admitted any new members into the DGCP category. He argued that even if the party were to induct these high-profile figures immediately, they would still face a statutory timeline issue before the next election.

“I can tell you we have never sat down and brought any new member into this category,” Tejan-Sie said. “Even if we bring a new member now, tell me from now till 2028, they won’t meet the five years requirement as Distinguished Grand Chief Patron to run for President.”

While ruling out the First Lady and the Chief Minister based on current standing, the former Scribe listed a small group of veterans who meet the constitutional threshold.

“The Vice President Juldeh Jalloh is qualified. Former Chairman John Benjamin is qualified. Prince Harding and me [are] qualified, according to the constitution,” he said.

Under Article 2 of the SLPP Constitution, the DGCP category is automatically reserved for high-ranking officials such as the Party Leader, Deputy Leader, Chairman, Secretary-General, and former Heads of State or Vice Presidents.

Despite the strict interpretation, Tejan-Sie acknowledged that the door is not entirely closed. He noted that the constitution allows the NEC or the Party Conference to confer the title on “deserving individuals” in “exceptional circumstances.”

However, he emphasized that without such a specific intervention, the current roster of rumored aspirants remains ineligible “as the situation stands now.”