Direct Think Tank Initiative Condemns Chairman Songa’s Succession Statement, Calls for Apology
The Direct Think Tank Initiative, a civil society organisation focused on good governance and accountability, has condemned recent comments attributed to the National Chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Jimmy Batilo Songa, concerning the succession of the party’s leadership.
In a press release dated 24 August 2026, the organisation called on Chairman Songa to apologise to the nation, arguing that the succession of a political party’s leadership must be determined through established democratic and constitutional processes.
The organisation said it was particularly concerned by Chairman Songa’s reported instruction to constituency chairmen not to take sides, alongside an assertion that President Julius Maada Bio would present a name to succeed him.
According to the Direct Think Tank Initiative, such a position could undermine the authority of the party’s National Delegates Conference, which it described as the constitutionally mandated body responsible for electing the party’s flag bearer.
‘No Individual Can Dictate Succession’
The organisation argued that no single individual—including the President, National Chairman or any member of the SLPP’s National Executive Council—should have the authority to predetermine the outcome of the party’s flag-bearer election.
It urged SLPP leaders and other political actors to respect the party’s constitution and allow delegates to exercise their democratic rights.
The organisation specifically referenced Section 6(c) of the SLPP Constitution, arguing that the provision does not give any individual the authority to unilaterally determine the party’s succession.
It further referred to Article 6C(1)(a) of the 1995 SLPP Constitution, as well as provisions in the party’s current constitutional framework, which it said establish democratic processes for the selection of party leadership.
Constitutional Obligation
The Direct Think Tank Initiative also invoked Section 35(2) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, which provides that the internal organisation of political parties shall conform to democratic principles.
The organisation maintained that political party constitutions must operate within the broader framework of Sierra Leone’s national Constitution and warned that any attempt to predetermine a party’s leadership succession could undermine democratic principles.
It called on the leadership of the SLPP, the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the party’s leadership transition is conducted transparently and in accordance with constitutional requirements.
Warning to Political Leaders
The civil society organisation also cautioned political leaders against attempting to impose a flag bearer through what it described as “backroom arrangements” rather than an open and democratic process.
It stressed that grassroots members remain central to the success of political parties, arguing that they are responsible for mobilisation, campaigning and securing electoral support.
“A flagbearer whose emergence is orchestrated through the backrooms of power, rather than through the transparent and open will of the National Delegates Conference, will find that the grassroots are not automatons to be commanded,” the organisation stated.
The Direct Think Tank Initiative warned that no candidate, regardless of political influence or connections, could secure electoral success without the support of the party’s grassroots.
The statement was signed by Alameen K. Sheriff, National Coordinator of the Direct Think Tank Initiative, and distributed to media houses and the general public.
