The Chairman of the All People’s Congress (APC) party Hon. Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray has taken a swipe at the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) of bad governance, economic mess and other vices that have held back the country’s growth and development.

The senior opposition member said this in reaction to the prevailing situation in the country including the November 26th, 2023 failed putsch for which their former leader and national erstwhile President Ernest Bai Koroma has been charged.

He underscored: “Let’s remind ourselves of the purpose for which we stand united as members of the APC Party. We are APC because we believe that Sierra Leone deserves better than the self-inflicted poor governance and disastrous economic mess that we have found ourselves in today. We are APC because we believe that our party had acceded to the realm of governance, a development sanctioned by the ballot on the 24th of June 2023. This is the only hope for our nation’s revival and progress.

Alhaji Mansaray has also stated that “I am reaching out to you all as children, elders and key stakeholders of the APC in a call to address a pressing issue that seem to threaten the institutional fabric of our party and undermine its very existence.”

Chairman Mansaray made this statement on Monday 15th January, 2024 at the party’s headquarters, while addressing party membership.

He said over the past few months, they have witnessed growing incidences of intra-party factional attacks, insidious indiscipline, hateful and baseless accusations, and counter-accusations aimed at deliberate character assassination of senior party stalwarts. He explained that while he cannot ascertain the accuracy of the party membership of some of the notorious perpetrators, they cannot allow these actions to undermine the integrity, strength, and dignity of their beloved party.

“Let’s first acknowledge the undeniable fact that the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has lost direction since 2018 with their so-called New Direction and has landed the country in this deep economic abyss. As the suffering masses continue to bear a disproportionate burden of the current economic and socio-political malignancies of the SLPP-announced government, it is up to us to provide the leadership our country urgently needs,” he added.

He called on the young people, women, and the grassroots supporters urging them to remain steadfast, resolved, and undistracted in their collective efforts to ensure that democracy, good governance, and the rule of law reign supreme in Sierra Leone.

Chairman Minkailu Mansaray therefore called on members of their party’s executives at all levels, their elders, and senior members of the party to step up and promote unity and strength within the APC party.

“Let’s focus on activities that will strengthen the institutional fabric of our party and stand united against any acts of indiscipline and division.

We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity and disciplines to consolidate the beliefs Sierra Leoneans have in our party to lead them.

I entreat you all to stand firmly by our treasured former Chairman and Leader, former President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, and our National Organizing

Secretary Hon. Bai Mahmoud Bangura. Both of them have shown an impeccable reputation of diligent service to Sierra Leoneans and beyond, and we hereby unequivocally declare and believe in their innocence,” he added.

“Let it be known that the APC party is a people-based party, with a proud record of service that speaks for itself. We do not need to circumvent the ballot or resort to divisive tactics to gain power. We have never governed this country without using credible ballot as a means of acquiring power and legitimacy in elections. We therefore continue to condemn every unconstitutional action to take up state governance including electoral coups.”

Hon. Mansaray noted: “As a party, our strength lies in our unity, in our unwavering belief in the values that unite us as a party and as Sierra Leoneans.

Comrades of the mighty APC, let us rise above the factional cleaves, indiscipline, and hateful accusations that have threatened to divide us. We are stronger together, and together we shall overcome any challenges that come our way. Let us remember our duty to the people of Sierra Leone and the hope they have placed in the APC Party. A collection of our ballot papers will neither bear our individual names nor the names of the founding fathers of our great party. However, our electoral victory at any moment will loudly bear the name of our glorious APC party. This is why we should all work towards reconciling the party to ensure every member enjoys peace, security and prosperity. This implies, we must take ownership of our reality in restitution of the pristine glory and dignity of our party as inherited from our founding fathers.

To this extent, I would like to take this moment to encourage the principal organs and other institutional scaffolds within our party,” he maintained.