By Ragan M. Conteh

The grand political parties in Sierra Leone are currently in preparation for 2028 general elections.

To show the readiness to retain power in 2028, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) lower level elections are ongoing as well as looking out for suitable candidate to lead the party into 2028 polls.

Prominent among those that have surfaced for the flagship of the party include the Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, former ECOWAS Parliament leader, Mohamed Sidie Tunis, Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Kadiru Kaikai and Musa Tarawally.

It’s understood that these men seeking the highest office of the land are currently crisscrossing the country to mobilize support.

Those that will be enlisted as executives will determine the fate of who will be lucky enough for the flagship.

In order to show how such elections are important, most of the Members of Parliament including the leadership of the ruling bench have all abandoned their duties to witness these elections.

In order to become members of Parliament, the lower level elections also determine that and missing such exercise will be detrimental to MPs in the future.

Currently, many supporters of the SLPP are confused as to who will be a match to the party’s victory and the lower level elections are key to the success of the party to clinch power in future elections.

Many SLPP supporters who spoke to this medium have confidence that no matter the worst, the party will stay in power for the next 20 or more years.

In a similar situation, the All People’s Congress (APC) party is reported to have started their own preparation to face the SLPP come 2028.

Many have attributed their loss in 2018 and 2023 to the division within the grand old party.

Some of them lamented that only unity will restore sanity within the party and will ensure that come what may, the victory is assured in 2028.

Like in the SLPP many have surfaced for the flagship including the former Vice President Samuel Sam Sumana, Hon Chernor Maju Bah aka Chericoco, Dr. Richard Conteh, Joseph F. Kamara, Dr Kelfala Marah and Mohamed Jagaban Kamara.

Other schools of thought have it that the APC party only needs concerted effort and cohesion to clinch power and nothing else, division will continue to derail the winning chances.

Currently the party is deeply divided into two, the national executive and those seeking electoral justice headed by Dr Samura Kamara.

Some executive of the APC have informed the people of Sierra Leone that the 2023 elections are done and dusted while Dr Samura Kamara is believes otherwise which is why he has continued to call for electoral justice in Sierra Leone.

Such wrangling between opposing factions within the same political party has further heightened the ongoing struggle.

The registration and verification of members in the APC members are ongoing by the party executive but some people have refused to honor the exercise due to the electoral justice call by Dr. Samura.

The executive of the APC have informed the country in many occasions that they are not going to stop the fight for electoral justice but they are also working towards what the party constitution says and nothing will stop the party from moving.

“We are going to prepare for the 2028 elections and what happened to us in 2018 and 2023 elections will never be tolerated,” the APC women’s leader told the media in Port Loko recently.

The battle for supremacy between the SLPP and the APC has continued as both sounds confident of victory come 2028.