1 Comment 
Dr. Richard Conteh, a flagbearer aspirant for the opposition All People’s Congress (APC), has strongly criticized the independence of Sierra Leone’s Electoral Commission, declaring that his party has no confidence in the institution as currently constituted.
Speaking on AYV’s Wake Up Sierra Leone program, Dr. Conteh stated:
“The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone is not independent, and the APC did take a principle position and said we did not, and we still do not, have confidence in that Commission as currently constituted. Even in the tripartite arrangement, we in our divergent views made it clear that we do not have confidence in the current Commission and we said they must be replaced.”
The tripartite framework, designed to foster dialogue among the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), the APC, and international partners, has not resolved the opposition’s concerns. Dr. Conteh emphasized that even within this arrangement, the APC has remained firm in its stance that the current Commission cannot be trusted to deliver free and fair elections.
The APC’s rejection of the Commission raises significant questions about the credibility of future elections. As Sierra Leone prepares for upcoming electoral processes, the debate over the independence of the Electoral Commission is likely to remain central.
Dr. Conteh’s remarks underscore the opposition’s determination to push for institutional change, setting the stage for heightened political negotiations in the months ahead.
The APC will never accept any attempt to rig the 2028 elections as the commission did in 2023, if it’s means we should go to war to have a credible election, we are readily determined.