His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio and leader of the ruling Sierra Leone Peopleโs Party (SLPP), has welcomed a powerful opposition politician who publicly resigned on Friday, 28th May, 2023 from the All Peopleโs Congress (APC), to officially join the ruling SLPP.
The President noted that โIn continuing with our commitment towards opening up the space for other broad-minded nationalists to join the mighty Sierra Leone Peopleโs Party, SLPP, today, I welcomed Alhaji Alpha Bakarr Sahid Kanu CRSL, aka Alpha Khan, to our Mighty Party.
โA detribalized and distinguished political leader, with over 40 years of active engagement in party politics, he comes with an enormous wealth of experience to enrich our Partyโs desire to promote meaningful change for our beloved countryโ.
President Bio also reiterated that the SLPP was the only authentic political party for every Sierra Leonean, adding that they were open to welcoming all progressive-minded Sierra Leoneans who were committed to joining their national transformation agenda.
At the well-attended event in the home district of Mr Kanu, the President assured: โOurs is leadership driven by passion, love and fidelity to the nation, devoid of political rhetoric. We, therefore, welcome all progressive Sierra Leoneans committed to nation-building to join hands with us in moving the country forward. The Future of Sierra Leone is all of us!โ he urged.
In his resignation letter to the APC headquarters on 28 April 2023, Alpha Kanu cited, among other things, the โpersistent unpleasant prevailing circumstances surrounding my continued membership of the All Peoples Congressโ as the reason for his departure.
He also stated that his focus was to help move Sierra Leone forward in the area of political and socio-economic development for the benefit of its people, an aspiration that he believed was unlikely to be fulfilled if he were to continue his membership with the APC.
Alpha Kanu was a sympathizer of the APC since 1962, a supporter since 1967, and an active member since 1991. He also served the former government as Minister of Information and Communications, Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources and Minister of Presidential and Public Affairs between 2007 and 2018.
