𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬… 𝐀𝐏𝐂 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞

A serious rift has broken out in the APC party following reports that a group loyal to the 2018 defeated Presidential candidate, Dr. Samura Kamara, yesterday insisted that they no longer have confidence in the Interim Chairman of the Party, Alfred Peter Conteh. Alfred Peter Conteh is accused of backing the sacked Vice President, Alhaji Chief Samuel Sam Sumana to become the party’s standard bearer in 2023.

Last week, the Chairman of the PPRC (Political Parties Registration Commission), Lawyer Abdulai Masiambay Bangurah, raised concerns over the APC’s preparedness to compete effectively in the forthcoming general elections slated for 24^th June, 2023. He blamed this problem on the deep split in the party and division among members of the Interim Governance Transition Committee (IGTC) and the Transitional Independent Management Committee of the party.

The APC should have elected their flag bearer at least two years prior to the 2023 elections. But the sharp division among the party’s leadership prevented the party from doing so.

Justice Adrian Fisher had given the APC party up until January 2023 to elect their flag bearer. This is no longer feasible, according to PPRC sources.

The party has still not agreed on a date for the conduct of the National Delegates Conference. Again, the party has not even agreed on a timetable to conduct lower-level elections.

The PPRC Chairman disclosed at a press conference last week that, the rules for the conduct of the lower-level elections have been published in the Government Gazette and became effective since 1^st November, 2022.

The PPRC Chairman regretted that the body that is supposed to conduct the lower-level elections has still not been constituted noting that the sixty days deadline has begun.

There is growing fear that the APC might not be able to effectively compete in especially the Presidential election slated for 24^th June, 2023 because of the long and complicated disputes within the party’s top hierarchy.

A political commentator noted last night that the APC is not serious to compete in elections slated for June 2023.