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In a widely circulated social media and newspaper article, veteran APC Politician and senior Journalist, Hon. Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo, asserted that, the current Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh is not only competent enough to succeed President Dr. Julius Maada Bio as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone but he is also about to break a myth around Presidential succession in Sierra Leone.
I.B. Kargbo argued very succinctly that, since the establishment of an Executive Presidency in Sierra Leone in 1971, no Vice President has ever succeeded an incumbent President.
In a similar vein, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio is about to break the myth, by becoming the first democratically elected President of Sierra Leone to hand over power peacefully to his Vice President.
In 2018, President Bio went out of his inner circle to identify someone younger than him to become his running mate. Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh became an invaluable asset to the Presidential ticket. He brought to the table enormous experience in public policy, state security and governance.
As Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh continues to enjoy the confidence and trust of the President. On many occasions, the President has publicly praised him for his competence and hard work. On one particular occasion, the President even Tweeted, praising his Vice President for his leadership in winning the MCC Compact for Sierra Leone.
Because of the trust he has in his Vice President, President Bio has given enormous responsibility and difficult tasks to Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to handle. President Bio is the first President in Sierra Leone to refer to his Vice President as his brother. It shows the confidence the President has in his Vice President.
During difficult times, the President has never hesitated to leave the country in the capable hands of his Vice President. The Vice Presidentโs loyalty to the President is beyond reproach.
Because of the excellent working relationship between the President and his Vice, many people believe that the President and the Vice President share the same birthday of 12th May (Which is the Presidentโs birthday).
President Bio is about to become a record breaker if he successfully hands over power to his Vice President when he retires in 2028.
The Hon. Vice President belongs to the third largest tribe in Sierra Leone. He has strong family ties in Port Loko district where his mother hailed from. Because he was born in Kono, many people see him as a Konoman.
It is believed that,
President Bio has since 2018 being preparing and grooming Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to succeed him in 2028. If that happens, President Bio would be remembered as the first President of Sierra Leone to peacefully hand over power to his Vice President. That would be a record breaking and momentous event in Sierra Leone.
IB Kargboโs thought-provoking article has generated a lot of debate around the issue of succession in the SLPP.
Many observers believe that, in view of IB Kargboโs pedigree and his analysis of the 2028 Presidential elections race, VP Juldeh Jalloh is placed far ahead of any other flag bearer aspirant, no matter the political party they belong to.
