Once most vibrant political entity ever in Africa is today a dormant one as its feet is dragged in the mud as an opposition party in Sierra Leone.

APC was made a lame opposition government under the PAOPA (a term which means gaining something through force or coercion) regime headed by Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

The All People’s Congress party was known as a ‘no-nonsense party’ by previous leaders of African countries (Guinea, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, etc) and other world leaders in USA, England, France, China and many more.

The red-sun party used to be feared by SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) and beyond.

Under the leadership of former Siaka Probyn Stevens, APC became an envious party by SLPP owing to the many clever ‘political tricks’ played by the former to silence opposition parties including Sierra Leone’s  and Africa’s oldest political party, SLPP.

Late Siaka Stevens was able to keep mute the opposition government from participating in governance. Sierra Leone was under a One Party State governed by a former police Sergeant, Siaka Probyn Stevens.

The ideology of All People’s Congress as a party for the grassroots was one that was admired by other African leaders after Sierra Leone had gained independence from the British government. And APC was also known for its dictatorial leadership style portrayed by the ever-long serving President of Sierra Leone, Siaka Stevens.

President Siaka Probyn Stevens ruled for about eighteen years. SLPP suffered under the hands of President Stevens as the party couldn’t make a strong force to challenge the autocratic leader.

Siaka Stevens would crack down the media and suppress dissenting views and could slay even his ministers who tend to unseat him from power.

Many key public figures saw their demise under the obnoxious death penalty law in the Stevens days in Sierra Leone.

But the party, APC, was kicked out soon after Stevens retired from politics. The fall of APC’s regime happened under the new leadership of an army officer, Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh.

The soldier, unlike the police, was overthrown by a group of junta men in 1992.

Coups and counter coups followed throughout until in 1996 when a civilian government took over, headed by a UN experienced staff, President Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabba.

Sierra Leone returned to a multi-party system of government since then. Many elections have been held with APC governing for two terms beginning from 2007 to 2012 and until 2018.

But, today, the ideology of All People’s Congress (APC) is gradually dying as it is drowned in murky waters by SLPP.

The SLPP are making APC party members to become effeminate and impotent men. Since it assumed power in April 4, 2018 SLPP continues to dissipate the spirit of APC’s politicians and followers. APC had faced courts litigations and petitions after petitions. And its men (senior politicians) had faced several arrests and lock-ups by the government while many of the APC followers got killed by government security officers.

APC’s Presidential aspirant, Dr Samura Kamara, was held up by the Anti-Corruption Commission for an alleged corruption case. Close to June 24 elections, however, Samura corruption case was dropped for a while.

But it has re-surfaced again as he recently appeared in court on Friday 14, July 2023 to defend himself. The case had taken him months without a verdict. It was believed to be used as a trap by the government to frustrate and slow down Samura to run his political campaigns.

On the whole, the vibrant political group in Sierra Leone and beyond is still fighting a fierce battle with the sitting government.

But the fight seems to be fought in the dark on a desert area where the opposition’s heels seem to be buried in the sand and pushed backwards.

On the position of the party in the just concluded June 24 elections, APC has refused to accept the official results by Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone which declared the incumbent President Maada Bio as the winner of Sierra Leone’s 2023 Presidential elections.

APC, before the polls, never trusted ECSL to conduct 2023 elections. It asked ECSL’s men to resign, but elections observers interfered and the elections went on as scheduled. But the outcome was contested by the opposition party, APC.

The opposition pointed out elections rigging; vote tampering, ballot stuffing, and party agents being denied access to polling stations.

The electoral observers’ mission, UK, EU, USA, Ireland and local CSOs also fiercely contested the results announced by Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Konneh, on 27 June, 2023. They said ECSL’s results did not match theirs.

The international observers ordered ECSL’s boss to publicize the official results but ECSL boss has never done as requested.

Owing to concerns of elections rigging, vote tampering, and other issues, international sanctions become the wide call by many.

Sanctions on President Bio’s government were predicted by many Sierra Leoneans to be effected if ECSL proves to be too reluctant to meet electoral observers’ request to produce the aggregated official results.

APC decided then not to participate in governance under the leadership of President Maada Bio who is now running a second five year term in office.

The opposition party members comprising 53 MPs had signed an agreement document to boycott parliament. Only Mohamed Bangura from Karene district defied the party’s decision to boycott. He is expected to face disciplinary action by his party, APC, but the politician is sure to be in parliament and he had taken an oath in the well.

Now, APC finds itself in a situation between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Should APC bank on the support of the international community to nullify the latest electoral commission’s results and declare a re-run of the election? Or they wait if sanctions will be imposed on the government? Will they get a verdict by ECOWAS to overturn ECSL’s decision that declared Bio the winner?

Or, should they reinforce their stance to refuse to go to parliament in the event world’s leaders give President Bio a let go?

APC must have been worried over the latest comment made by a senior US diplomat urging the party to participate in governance activities.

“I urge the APC not to boycott government. A vibrant democracy needs a strong opposition; those who voted for the opposition need to have their voices heard,’’ a latest twit by David Reimer, US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, reads.