“Coup Against the Constitution” — Opposition Leader Fires at Speaker
By Kelvin Jay
Opposition Leader in Parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, has accused the SLPP Government of staging what he described as a “coup against the 1991 Constitution” in its handling of the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding the purported passage of the Bill, Kargbo alleged that the Speaker of Parliament, rather than Parliament itself, had acted unlawfully in facilitating the constitutional amendments.
“For the Speaker to amend the Constitution unlawfully is a coup against the Constitution,” Kargbo stated.
He argued that the Constitution cannot be amended without the authority of Parliament, stressing that the procedure for constitutional amendments is clearly provided for under Section 108 of the 1991 Constitution.
According to Kargbo, if the Constitution could be amended through a simple majority, there would have been no need for the Government to seek the participation of the opposition in the process.
Meanwhile, the All People’s Congress (APC) has rejected and condemned the purported passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025, describing the process as a “legislative heist,” “constitutional banditry” and legally void.
In a strongly worded statement, the opposition party said it would immediately seek legal redress before the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone, challenging the parliamentary process and demanding strict compliance with Section 108 of the Constitution.
The APC maintained that no arm of government is above the Constitution, arguing that constitutional amendments cannot be imposed through what it described as fraud, misinterpretation or bribery.
The party also called on Sierra Leoneans, civil society organisations, religious leaders and the international community to reject what it termed an act of “constitutional theft.”
It urged citizens to make their voices heard peacefully but firmly, while refusing to legitimise what it considers an unconstitutional process.
The APC further demanded that the Speaker of Parliament and the Government suspend implementation of the Bill and allow the Supreme Court to determine the legality of the parliamentary process without delay.
The party concluded that it would not stand by while, in its view, Sierra Leone’s democracy is dismantled, insisting that justice, legality and the will of the people must prevail.
