By Alhaji Haruna Sani
Leader and Presidential aspirant of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara has said the leadership of President Bio was characterised by various documented human rights abuses, stifling of opposition voices, a shrinking of the people’s democratic space, open tribal divide, regional marginalisation and widespread unprovoked, unexplained and uninvestigated political violence.
Dr. Kamara averred that the situation under Bio’s administration has led to mass killings, molestation, harassment, and police brutality against the citizenry across the country, adding that it is a system that has woefully failed the people, economically, socially and politically.
“It has been a tough 5 years for all of us – the young, the old, the women, the traders and their businesses, the transporters, the teachers and students, the police and military officers, the Temnes, the Mendes, the Fullahs and Yalunkas, the Kurankos and Limbas, the susus and the krios, the Lokos and all other tribes. The misery and suffering we have endured in the last five years know no boundaries. They have pushed us too far, enough is enough!,” Samura expressed.
The APC Presidential hopeful went on to state that the June 24 elections are not about Samura Kamara per se neither must they be about a second term for President Julius Maada Bio, Paopa. “They are about building a better future for Sierra Leone and, who can best secure this”.
Samura charged that it has become evident in the last five years that the attitude of the current President to governance is militarised and characterised by the ethno-regionalisation of politics and power and the imposition of his will on the people.
He cited the illegal appointment of a Speaker of Parliament and the head of ECSL, sacking of the Auditor General among several others abuses of powers by President Bio and his PAOPA regime.
“Trapped by a militant ethnic cabal known as ‘PAOPA’ and an overbearing wife who continues to display a naked animosity for opponents of the regime, it is without gainsaying that President Bio has lost the ability to govern and lead the country to safe and secured elections on June 24. The People of Sierra Leone voted the husband as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, not the wife,” Samura charged.
Dr. Samura Kaara said the questions around the integrity of the existing voter register, the poor quality of the Voter ID Cards, and critically; the tallying at the Polling Centre and district; as well as the manual transfer of the results are too many and too serious for the APC to make any compromises on because they portend real and credible antecedents to confusion, frustration among electorates and violence.
He said most importantly, electronic transmission exposes the elections results to manipulation which would result in an outcome that would neither be credible nor acceptable.
“In the strongest terms possible, I wish to reiterate that the All Peoples Congress (APC) and its supporters will not accept any election results tainted by rigging or manipulation. We are steadfast in our commitment to upholding the principles of national unity, democracy, transparency, and the will of the people. Should there be any evidence of electoral malpractices or attempts to subvert the integrity of the electoral process, we will utilise all available legal and peaceful means to challenge such actions and ensure that the true voice of the Sierra Leonean people is heard,” Samura challenged.
