By Hassan I. Conteh

A voting pattern in Sierra Leone is expected to dramatically change in the upcoming multi-tier elections slated for June 24th this year.

There are already clear signs of people in Northern province switching allegiance from the All People’s Congress (APC) party to the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). This press has observed a ‘dramatic shift’ of supporters of APC, the main opposition, willing to cast their votes this time for SLPP, the incumbent government.

This is because SLPP is better off than APC in many aspects, according to a resident of a town in Falaba district called Mangay.

Despite being the stronghold of APC, Tonkolili-ans, appear to throw their love for SLPP. They love President Rtd. Brig. Dr. Julius Maada Bio.

“We feared then Coronavirus will kill us like Ebola” a dominant comment by Northerners.

But the Northerners’ love for Bio is not expressed openly. They talked his good name while they are on their farms and gardens.

“Nowadays, we sell palm oil and get plenty money. Maada has not put up stiff restrictions on borders to transport Palm-Oil overseas” says Mabinty Kargbo, a farmer and a trader.

Talks of President Dr. Julius Maada Bio reclaiming a second term victory are common among Tonkolili-ans, but since Tonkolili is APC’s stronghold, people talk in secret to avoid reprisals or being identified by SLPP haters.

In Sierra Leone, most districts often maintain a ‘shift in voting ‘ pattern. The past elections, 2018, showed a landmark turn out of voters for SLPP in most districts in the Northern region including Tonkolili.

Konike Tene, Konike Fula Wusu, Kolifa Rowala, Yoni and other Chiefdoms in Tonkolili districts have in the past years solidly voted SLPP in power.

North’s votes, for example in 2002 General Elections, solidified the smooth path for late Dr. Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabba to have a landslide victory for SLPP.

However, the Sierra Leone’s People’s Party under the incumbent President Julius Maada Bio, in the past few years, was hated by some Northerners.

But the misgivings held of the former soldier as a bad leader could now be seen by some Tonkolili-ans and Northerners as opposition’s propagandists.

Some say most negative information on President Bio’s personality was meant to smear his reputation among Sierra Leoneans.

Negativity was a campaign thrill used by the opposition, APC, to demote President Julius Maada Bio and to remote public opinion in the North and elsewhere.

But now President Bio is loved mostly by Northerners. Although the love for him varies among Northerners, farmers have begun to change their negative mindset about President Bio.

Palm oil growers now see President Bio as a ‘helper’ than a reaper like others may think.

They believe he has recently paved the way for them to export their produce to be easily marketed for which they get more profits.

“When I recently sold seven gallons of palm oil, I quickly rushed to Makeni and buy a piece of land.”  “We are thankful of Maada Bio because our farm produce have value than before” says Sheik Ibrahim Bangura, a resident in Kolifa Rowala.

As President Bio’s love by farmers grow so his votes grow and, APC is bound to see serious defeats in most of its strongholds.