Presidential candidate for the upcoming Sierra Leone Football Association [SLEA] election, Aminata Bangura, may face possible disqualification.
According to The Statellite Newspaper, Bangura, who is one of the four candidates approved by the SLFA Electoral Committee, is facing questions over her eligibility.
Bangura is seen as part of a group known as the “Third Force,” but sources close to the SLFA Secretariat say her nomination doesn’t meet the requirements set out in Article 32 (4) and (5) of the SLFA constitution. This has raised concerns about whether she can legally contest the presidency.
Both Aminata Bangura and Umaru Bangura, another candidate from the “Third Force,” were once part of a group formed by the current SLFA President, Thomas “Daddy” Brima, but they reportedly left the group quickly.
Now that the SLFA Ethics Board has opened the Integrity Check and Petition Submission period for candidates, many football stakeholders are expected to challenge Bangura’s candidacy.
The “Third Force” group they belong to is seen by many as a return of a troubled group that caused disruptions during the Kóroma Administration, a time when the Sierra Leone Premier League was put on hold for several seasons.
In May, the Third Force claimed to have written to FIFA, the world football governing body, accusing the government of interfering in football affairs and questioning the legitimacy of independent committees that were elected at the SLFA Congress earlier this year under FIFA and WAFU supervision.
Despite their complaints, the group still uses SLFA facilities, a fact some find contradictory.
Many football fans and stakeholders believe this move may bring confusion and instability at a time when Sierra Leone football is working towards unity and professionalism.
The SLFA will review any petitions during this period, and a decision about Bangura’s candidacy will come before the election.