𝐒𝐋𝐏𝐏 & 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬

One good thing that President Julius Maada Bio did for the SLPP is to fight with ferocity and force to bring the party back to power in 2018. In 1996, as military head of state, Brig. Julius Maada Bio presided over the return to civilian rule after multi-party elections were held across the country.

After the Chairman of INEC (Interim National Electoral Commission) Dr. James Jonah declared the SLPP Presidential candidate, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah as winner of the run-off Presidential election, Brig. Bio handed over power peacefully to the SLPP and left the country. After almost eleven years in power, the SLPP was defeated in 2007 by the main opposition leader, Ernest Bai Koroma of the APC party. After the 2007 election defeat, the SLPP returned to opposition for almost eleven years.

Give credit where credit is due. In 2009, at the Trinity Parish Hall in Kenema, the SLPP at their National Delegates’ Conference, elected firebrand politician John Oponjo Benjamin as the party’s National Chairman and Leader. A savvy political strategist, Jacob Jusu Saffa was re-elected as the party’s National Secretary General and Mrs. I.J. Kabbah became the party’s National Women’s Leader.

The election and re-election of the three prominent SLPP politicians gave a renewed vigor to the party to openly challenge and even criticize the governing APC party. They became a thorn in the flesh of the APC.

Benjamin’s monthly press conferences were highly anticipated. They were always fully packed. Opposition journalists (at least few of us) looked forward to JOB’s monthly press conferences with great anxiety.

Many SLPP supporters who had abandoned the party or who were afraid of openly associating with the party started gravitating towards the SLPP Headquarters. Hope was on the horizon.

When the SLPP National Delegates’ Conference elected Brig. Julius Maada Bio as party flag bearer at the Miatta Conference Centre in August 2011, the SLPP headquarters was awash with festivities. Brig. Bio was clearly the party’s choice. He defeated Usman Boi Kamara and other prominent members of the party including Dr. Kadie Sesay to emerge as the party’s 2012 standard bearer.

Clearly, Brig. Bio ran the most organised campaign for the SLPP flag bearer position in 2018. Eventhough he was almost always out of the country at the time, his campaign team was the most organised. He had a loyal and formidable team comprising Dr. Abass Bundu, Alhaji Dr. Kanja Sesay, Kabineh Kallon, J.J. Saffa, Hon. Foday Rado Yokie, Abdulai Sesay and others.

Looking at the composition, one prominent SLPP politician once noted that, with a team like this, it would have been very difficult to defeat Maada Bio for the post of SLPP flag bearer.

In his immediate post 2018 election cabinet, President Bio compensated almost all but one of his core team members. J.J. Saffa became Finance Minister, Alhaji Kanja Sesay was appointed to handle one of the most difficult ministries (Ministry of Energy), Kabineh Kallon became Transport and Aviation Minister, Dr. Abass Bundu got the elevated position of Speaker of Parliament and Abdulai Sesay became Personal Assistant to the President at State House.

The long and short of it all is that, Brig. Julius Maada Bio emerged naturally as flag bearer of the SLPP in 2011 and 2018 respectively because, he was the most popular candidate in the party. Bio did not rely on any political Godfather support. He fought very hard to energize his support base by preaching sermons about hope. In the depths of despair, party members and supporters saw hope in him.

To his credit, President Bio has undertaken life-changing projects in the interest of the people of Sierra Leone. His flagship projects of Free Quality Education, Feed Salone, Seven Districts Electrification etc have started impacting on the lives of some underprivileged people in our society. The successful implementation of these projects will define the true and enduring legacy of President Bio when he leaves office.

The names of SLPP flag bearer aspirants continue to germinate like seeds. Interestingly, a good number of them are well known to party members and supporters. Their track record in public office is an open book.

Most of the flag bearer aspirants are well-known to the man they are fighting to succeed. The issue of leadership succession in a political party as big as the SLPP is very difficult to handle. Many people within the party are calling for a National Delegates’ Conference to be held this year in order to elect (or re-elect) National Officers of the party. The two preeminent positions in the party are up for grabs-National Chairman and National Secretary General. This year’s National Delegates’ Conference is expected to be a crucial turning point in the party’s determination to stay in power after 2028.

President Bio finds himself in a very uncomfortable or impossible position. He does not want to be seen to be openly backing any of the flag bearer aspirants. A good number of them are very well known to be either his mentees or political allies. The likes of VP Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, Timothy Musa Kabba see President Bio as their political mentor and Godfather.

Others like Hon.Dr Sidie Mohamed Tunis, Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally, Ambassador Alie Kabba etc are seen as close political allies of the President.

In the case of VP Juldeh Jalloh, President Bio now gives him prominent roles to play that he never had the privilege to perform between 2018 and 2023. Understandably, the President did not want to share the global stage with someone when he was still interested in continuing in office after 2023.

Since this is President Bio’s final term in office, he would be very much interested in who succeeds him not only as flag bearer of the SLPP but as President of Sierra Leone. President Bio does not need to be advised on the unwelcome consequences of handing over power to one’s opponents. The APC are determined to draw blood.

President Bio’s best bet is to ensure that, he hands-over power peacefully to the SLPP in 2028. President Bio will be the biggest loser if the SLPP does not win the 2028 Presidential election.

In the coming days, I shall be assessing the chances of those flag bearer aspirants that have already shown their hands. There are several other equally qualified members of the party who are waiting in the wings to join the fray. The ones to fear are the ones that are keeping their cards close to their chests.

Watch this space for Part 1 of the series on SLPP flag bearer aspirants and their chances