The continued boycott of the House of Parliament by MPs and by elected Mayors, Councillors, and Chairpersons refusing to resume work has spoken volumes and the impact it had created has spread far and wide. The international community has got the message. Period. Whether or not the stubborn APC MPs go there makes no sense and it is fruitless. Sierra Leone is moving slowly but surely from dictatorship into democracy sooner rather than later thanks to the vigilance of Dr Samura Kamara. I have received the realisation of getting rid of the bloody thirsty regime of Julius Maada Bio with open hands in most quarters of Sierra Leone, especially in the north and northwest of the country i.e. strongholds of the main opposition APC party. (Photo: APC MP-elect Abdul Kargbo, left, and Freetown Mayor-Elect Madam Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr).

Behind this good news is the international community that is more determined than ever before to defend democracy in Sierra Leone through the ongoing dialogue with the SLPP and the APC representatives. Consequently, no matter what position the APC Members of Parliament and others will take now, whether they appear in Parliament on October 12 or not, the position of the international partners regarding the restoration of democratic rule in Sierra Leone will not alter. This is because, what is transpiring in Sierra Leone is far above the APC party, far above the ruling SLPP regime, it is far above Sierra Leone. It is about protecting and fending democracy in Africa and around the world. Western democracies would not allow despots like Maada Bio to undermine democracy.

This is the major reason why the APC MPs who had behaved gallantly in the last three months by boycotting the illegal Bio presidency continue to boycott Parliament for the right reasons. They should not allow any amount of intimidation or pressure from the illegitimate SLPP Speaker Dr Abass Chernor Bundu to change their minds and join the House on October 12. Nothing is going to change now whether they go to the House or not. “We are winning the battle. The global partners have squeezed Maada Bio’s regime breathless. There is no reason for our gallant MPs to wobble in the dying minutes as success beckons,” APC Grassroots supporters have noted. (Photo: APC hierarchy has advised the elected officials to be patient. Osman Yansaneh, Chernor Bah and Dr Samura Kamara).

However, the rumour mill about some APC MPs planning to appear in Parliament next week has continued to pollute the atmosphere much to the fright of APC supporters and members in and outside Sierra Leone. Social media posts are momentarily awash with audios from APC media activists who are appealing to the APC MPs to continue the boycott rather than appear in Parliament as they believe that would legitimise the illegitimate Maada Bio. But this is not the case in the eyes of global partners. This is the good news. Whether or not the prolonged rumour of the APC parliamentarians appearing in the House of Parliament does not matter as a re-run is imminent.

It is only a matter of time before the dates for a re-run of the controversial June 24, 2023, general and presidential elections are announced by the negotiators from the Commonwealth, African Union, European Union, etc. Reports say the dialogue conference will commence on 13, October in Freetown where SLPP and APC officials will meet to iron out their differences for the benefit of democracy in Sierra Leone. Hopefully, time is up for Maada Bio as even the rumoured appearance of the APC parliamentarians in the House of Parliament possibly on October 12, 2023, would not change an iota of the real situation.

Elected APC parliamentarians, elected Mayors, elected Councillors, and elected Chairpersons of the APC party have done well so far in boycotting the Bio presidency. The new information emerging that some APC MPs are poised to go to Parliament for oath-taking is a step in the wrong direction but not as impactful as expected. All patriotic Sierra Leoneans are advising the APC MPs not to enter Parliament as their continuous boycott of the House would restore democracy to Sierra Leone and bring back the people’s mandate sooner. Thanks to the US and the international community for imposing economic sanctions on Maada Bio for the fraudulent June 24, 2023 reactions.