Following eruption of violence in the ongoing lower level elections of the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in Tonkolili district precisely in constituency 48, Mile 91 and Constituency 50 at the district’s headquarter of Magburaka town that led to the purported violent attack on party’s district Chairman, Ahmed Saybom Kanu, the party’s Northern Region Secretariat has in a statement temporarily suspended all election activities in these two areas.

The notice signed by the District Secretary General, Robert Salia Kamara, stated that the “elections in constituencies 48 in Mile 91 and 50 in Magburaka town have been postponed.”

The suspension of the election in constituency 48, was triggered by heightened violence where the party’s District Chairman, Ahmed Saybom Kanu was reportedly attacked.

According to the statement, the attack on Chairman Kanu was reportedly perpetrated by men believed to be supporters of the Youth Minister, Mohamed Orman Bangura, the former’s main challenger for the SLPP district Chairmanship position in the forthcoming party’s national convention.

“In light of the heightened violence perpetrated by Mohamed Orman Bangura, Abu Mohamed Koroma, Dr. John Korokoro Koroma and some guards believed to be unofficially attached to the Chief Minister’s office including Abacha et’al leading to assault against the District Chairman alongside other peaceful grassroots members of the party, the lower level elections in Constituency 048 is hereby postponed for further consultations with the Regional and National Executives,” the notice further reads.

All the elections in other constituencies, the statement added will proceed as scheduled.

It furthered that in case where violence is reported, members are encouraged to produce videos as evidence for further actions as required by law.

Accordingly, the Secretary General said the District Chairman has to tender a formal complaint to the National Executive for immediate action.

“We urge all party supporters to refrain from violence during this lower-level electioneering process,” the public notice ends.

Meanwhile it’s reported that despite the official suspension of elections in these areas by the SLPP district office, there are reports that certain people have decided to proceed with the exercise in violation of the public notice.

In response, Salia says as far as the District Executive is concerned, there would be no immediate elections in the aforementioned areas and stressed in clear terms that they will not accept election results from any other source apart from the party’s overseen elections.

Although the ongoing election exercise is purely an SLPP affairs, but residents in Tonkolili district have expressed fear that if concerned authorities fail to swiftly nip in the bud the seeming threat, it will spillover in the district hence creating unnecessary fear in the people.

Meanwhile, the Youth Minister and all of those alleged by the District Secretary General to be responsible for the ugly incident were not available for comment.