By Alhaji Haruna Sani
Members of the All People’s Congress (APC) party from various sectors and from all parts of Sierra Leone, have endorsed the candidacy of Lawyer Lansana Dumbuya for the position of National Secretary General of the party.
Dumbuya, on Saturday,14th January, formally declared his intention to run for the secretary general position of the APC.
The event was well-represented by APC Stakeholders from zones, constituencies, districts, regions, national and diaspora alongside former Ministers, Ambassadors and Head of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The event was held on Saturday, January 14th, at the party’s Old Railway Line Head Office in Freetown, where Lawyer Dumbuya officially declared his intention for the position of the APC National Secretary General.
Former Minister of Youth, who served as Chairman of the occasion, Alimamy Kamara, pledges his support for Lawyer Dumbuya, noting that Dumbuya is not only a respectful man, but a man with patience and perseverance.
“If any respects and believe in former President Koroma, they must pledge their full support for Lawyer Dubuya,” Alimamy admonished.
Chairman Santos Koroma, on behalf of Team Lansana Dumbuya, commended Lawyer Dumbuya for exercising ‘the greatest patience’ with regards to his quest for the hot seat, adding that with all the challenges ranging from humiliation, unlawful detention and arrest of party officials, Lawyer Dumbuya resisted and stayed in solidarity with the party’s members and supporters.
From the North West region, James Tarawally noted that the APC grassroots is desperately waiting to see that he becomes the secretary general.
He added that they were sure that, the national delegates’ conference for the secretary general candidate is a done deal for Lawyer Lansana Dumbuya because the grassroots serves as decision-makers.
“Lansana Dumbuya has been patiently waiting for this position for far too long. Now is the right time and I believe he is the right man to lead the party to victory come next year’s general elections,” Tarawally said.
“Because of his humility and dedication to the party, he decided to step-down for the erstwhile secretary general and wait for his time; and now is the rightful time,” he said.
Lawyer Dumbuya commended the two affiliate groups, while officially declaring his intention, Dumbuya noted that he is one of the legal luminaries nurtured by the APC to lead the new era of days in which the next batch of secretariat will be.
He said if elected, the party would be controlled by a human rights lawyer, who provides legal counsel to victims of human rights violations and will confront all odds and defend the APC like his predecessors.
Dumbuya explained that he grew up in the APC as a son of the party and took greater part in the party’s activities during the 80s as a youth at that time. He said he was the only lawyer named APC lawyer who stood very firm to see the APC executive not jail at that time in the hands of SLPP Kabba.
While he was in the United Nations in Rwanda, Dumbuya said he was called to serve in the capacity by running for the position of National Secretary General where he contested in the selection/election constitution 1995 of the APC for two times.
“I contested in 2013 and 2017 but I was asked to wait for Ambassador Osman Foday Yansaneh to continue. Although it was painful and difficult but I never turned down my loyalty and support for the APC party and never cross-faded my membership for any political party because I was not given the opportunity to serve,” he explained.
Other distinguished speakers included Balogue Koroma, Santigie Bangura of the APC Taskforce, Haja Afsatu Kabba, a representative from ASMEG, Brima Michael Turay, Minkailu Koroma of the APC Peace Facilitators, among several others, all of whom pledged their support for the candidacy of Lawyer Dumbuya and canvass the APC delegates to vote him come their delegate conference.
