Former Member of Parliament and former Majority Leader, Hon. Ibrahim Rassin Bundu, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), demanding a substantive ruling on the case he filed against the All People’s Congress (APC) party regarding the extension of the party’s executive tenure.

Speaking at a press conference held at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, Hon. Bundu strongly criticised the Commission’s recent decision to issue a directive extending the tenure of the current APC national executive by six months, rather than delivering a formal ruling on the matter. He described the Commission’s action as a direct violation of both the PPRC Act of 2022 and the APC Constitution (2022, as amended).

“The PPRC has acted outside the law and against the constitution of our party,” Hon. Bundu declared. He argued that the Commission’s directive undermines democratic principles and sets a dangerous precedent for political party governance in Sierra Leone.

Hon. Bundu, who served as a lawmaker for 15 years, explained that he and fellow party member Ambassador Almami Kamara had brought the matter to the PPRC in December 2025, challenging the authority of the APC executive to extend its own tenure beyond February 18, 2026. He noted that while the Commission initially adjourned for a ruling, it later issued an administrative directive instead, with no formal judgment provided.

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“We went on that date only to be slammed with a directive,” he said. “The commissioner further stated that the ruling would come out in a week. That was in February. It is now the end of March, and we are still waiting.”

Citing Section 39(5) of the Political Parties Act 2022, Hon. Bundu maintained that a political party shall not extend the tenure of any of its executives for more than six months. He further argued that the APC Constitution contains no internal provision permitting such an extension, and that the restrictive nature of the law imposes a ceiling rather than granting power to extend mandates arbitrarily.

He also referenced the 2022 High Court ruling by Justice Adrian Fisher-Jane in the matter between Afetika Konte and the APC party, which issued a perpetual injunction against certain party officials. Hon. Bundu warned that individuals who served in party leadership between 2017 and 2022 and have continued in similar roles risk being in contempt of that court order.

Beyond the tenure dispute, Hon. Bundu raised concerns regarding financial accountability within the APC. He revealed that a court-ordered forensic audit conducted by Peter Kamara & Co. following the 2022 judgment uncovered approximately 8 billion Leones that could not be properly accounted for by the previous executive. He noted that a copy of the audit report had been submitted to the PPRC but that no action had been taken.

“The PPRC, as a regulatory body, failed to obtain annual financial reports from the APC party, consequently leading to such huge financial misappropriation of the party’s resources,” he said.

Hon. Bundu further questioned the inaction of key members of the PPRC, including the legal practitioner nominated by the Sierra Leone Bar Association, the Chief Electoral Commissioner, and the nominee of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress.

“Where are they?” he asked. “Why are they not making any statement to question the actions of the PPRC Chairman that are not supported by law?”

He concluded by demanding that the Commission deliver its ruling within seven days, warning that failure to do so would leave him with no option but to seek legal intervention.

“If after the seven days the PPRC does not release a ruling, we will be left with no other option but to seek legal intervention on this matter,” he stated.

When asked about the possibility of taking the matter to the courts, Hon. Bundu noted that the PPRC Act grants the Commission prosecutorial powers akin to a high court, but that parties dissatisfied with its decisions may appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Hon. Bundu emphasised that his intent was not to target individuals within the party but to draw attention to what he described as anomalies requiring correction.

“The laws of this land must be respected by all,” he said. “If we as a political party seeking to get the government to do things right according to the laws of the state, we must be able to do likewise so as to remain credible and justifiable in our claims.”