Former Minister and Senior opposition politician Hon. Kemoh Sesay has declared that Dr. Samura Kamara, the All People’s Congress (APC) presidential candidate in the disputed 2023 elections, will be made president “shortly,” and that the party will not participate in the 2028 general elections unless the Tripartite Committee’s recommendations are fully implemented.

In an interview with Truth Media, Sesay stated that the resolution of the 2023 electoral dispute is a prerequisite for any future elections. “As far as I’m concerned, I will not subscribe to 2028 elections because I’m sure we’re not done with 2023,” he said. “We will not subscribe if Dr. Samura Kamara is not made president.”

Sesay’s comments come amid ongoing tensions over the June 2023 presidential election, in which the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) declared incumbent President Julius Maada Bio the winner with 56.17% of the vote, against Kamara’s 41.16%. The APC rejected the results, alleging irregularities and a lack of transparency in the tallying process, though the party opted against a formal court challenge.

Sesay has previously called for fair and just recommendations from the Tripartite Committee, warning that failure to deliver them could have serious consequences for the country. The committee was established under the Agreement for National Unity signed between the Government and the APC in October 2023, and its report contains 80 recommendations, including the creation of a parliamentary oversight committee on electoral matters chaired by an opposition MP.

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Challenged on how Dr. Kamara would become president while President Bio remains in office, Sesay pointed to the implementation of the Tripartite recommendations as the mechanism. “By implementing the reports accurately,” he said, identifying the government and parliament as the implementing bodies.

The APC politician expressed optimism about a potential shift in direction from President Bio, citing the president’s recent decision to send a Constitutional Amendment Act back to the Supreme Court for review. “I never thought he was going to do that,” Sesay said. “He’s doing that now. Kudos to him.”

Sesay went further, suggesting that if the recommendations are not implemented, he would resign from politics. “Because when rogues make the rules, there is no justice,” he said. “I cannot do it alone. I was in jail because of that.”

He emphasized that the fight for electoral justice is not about installing Dr. Kamara personally, but about ensuring the rule of law. “It’s not about making Samura Kamara president, it’s about implementing the accord accordingly. It would bring about justice.”

Dr. Kamara himself has stated that he is “not on a 2028 elections agenda while 2023 remains unresolved,” and has called for the criminalization of electoral fraud. The APC has undergone significant internal shifts since the 2023 elections, including changes in leadership roles and the replacement of Kamara as Chief Negotiator in the Tripartite Committee.