The former Chairman and Leader of the All Peoples Congress party, Former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has been accused of selling his party to the hands of the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) during the 2018 elections.

According to some schools of thought, the former Chairman and Leader for the APC party has an hidden agenda to run the show of presidency during 2018 which led to handpicked Dr. Samura Kamara who was ridiculed in Makeni as “You sabi am” by the APC big wigs who publicly contested for the flagbearer position for the party.

These schools of thought ascertained that Dr. Samura Kamara’s loyalty to former President Koroma made him to craftily select him, as flagbearer as many APC stalwarts continue to see Mr. Kamara as a handpicked and loyalists to his former Boss. And they believe that the idea of third term of office was still playing on Koroma’s mind that was the reason he could not make a better choice and a succession plan for the party’s victory during 2018.

The adage “what happens in Makeni stays in Makeni” was believed to be popularized by the former APC Chairman and Leader to reduce the ambiguities that he instilled in the minds of supporters and members.

Some sound political pundits have described the handpicked flagbearer as former president Koroma in disguise and is also viewed as Koroma’s hand print in the APC party, that is even if he succeeded to become president most of his decisions will be decided by his predecessor. Adding that former president Koroma is seeking to return back to the political arena in 2028 as he is fully conscious of the fact that it will be an herculean task for Mr. Samura Kamara to win the polls over Mr. Bio who has long marketed himself just after losing the 2012 presidential elections to Mr. Koroma.

“The whole august body that attended the Delegates’ conference was never seeing Dr. Samura Kamara to be selected as flagbearer of APC against Mr. Bio,” an anonymous member of the APC told this medium, adding that “the crowd was shocked to hear such names and the reason for the popular slogan by APCians ‘You sabi am?” he said to the Africa24 newspaper.

It is also believed by another think thank resource that the name Samura Kamara was never the perfect feat for the APC ticket as flagbearer for 2018 looking at the flagbearer of the SLPP Mr. Bio who resisted strongly against the ruling APC by then. Based on his unpopularity which made him lose the ‘Golden Seat’ against Retired Brigadier Maada Bio and, Mr. Kamara went on the rampage and started marketing himself early prior to the 2023 presidential polls by embarking on series of donations.

It is of the firm belief that Dr. Samura Kamara is still not loved by some big guns within the structure of the party that is why he is hardly seen accompanied by popular and senior members of the party in almost all his public appearances and his candidacy is still contested by big wigs of the party who recently queried his candidacy at the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court.

Others within the party has described Mr. Samura Kamara as a hard sell candidate and the 2023 presidential election will be his last and final chance for his names to be inscribed in the ballot papers as he will face a tough and top rivals contesting against him ahead of 2028 presidential polls.

Despite the APC ruled for almost 11 years with Mr. Bio awaiting as the opposition during 2018, the infamous Samura Kamara could not match his sympathizing popularity to Mr. Bio whose had been in limelight of politics since he took power from Captain Valentine Strasser of NPRC till he resumed civilian power to late former president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of blessed memory.

However, at the height of Samura’s  popularity, some sane political minds have opined that it will still be an easy ride for the incumbent president, Mr. Bio to complete his second term as civilian ruler