APC Seeks Meeting with President Bio Over ECSL Appointment Dispute
The opposition All People’s Congress (APC) has formally requested a meeting with Julius Maada Bio following growing controversy surrounding the appointment of Edmond Alpha as a commissioner of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL).
The Executive Secretary of the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC), Hawa Samai, disclosed that the APC made the request during a recent mediation meeting convened by the Commission.
The meeting, which took place at the Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, brought together representatives of the APC and government officials, including the Attorney General, Alpha Sesay. Discussions centered on governance concerns and the APC’s ongoing boycott of certain government engagements.
According to Samai, APC representatives expressed strong reservations about engaging in dialogue with the Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, whom they described as “immature.” The party instead insisted on direct engagement with President Bio to address the matter.
Confirming the development, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Sidi Yaya Tunis, said the party still hopes to meet with the President despite the current political tensions.
Tunis explained that the APC had initially requested an audience with President Bio to present its objections to the appointment of Edmond Alpha to the ECSL.
According to him, the party wanted the opportunity to outline its reasons why the appointment should not proceed. However, he said their request for a meeting was not granted.
“We had wanted to engage with the President to convince him why he should not proceed with the appointment of Edmond Alpha as ECSL Commissioner, but we were not given the opportunity to meet with him. This made us feel marginalized and excluded from national discourse,” Tunis stated.
The dispute over the ECSL appointment has further heightened tensions between the ruling government and the opposition APC, with political observers warning that continued disagreements could deepen the country’s already fragile political divide.
