By Yeanor Kamara
The All People’s Congress (APC) has dismissed as “false and misleading”, recent reports on social media suggesting that the party has introduced new criteria for its upcoming elections, including a controversial 20% weighting for “loyalty of party service.”
Speaking to Politico in a telephone interview, Abdul Karim Kamara, a member of the party’s publicity team, clarified that the rules guiding the party’s electoral processes are not arbitrary inventions but are rooted in the party’s 2022 constitution. He said the current wave of information being spread online about the APC’s internal electoral framework is “garbage” deliberately designed to mislead the public and cause confusion among supporters.
Hon. Kamara explained that the party has a structured mechanism for developing internal rules and regulations. According to him, the APC Secretariat, headed by the National Secretary General, is the body mandated to draft and manage rules for the conduct of elections at all levels within the party. “The party doesn’t operate without structures, the secretariat, led by the Secretary General, is the custodian of these rules. They are not developed overnight, they are derived from the APC’s 2022 constitution, which is our guiding document,” Kamara said.
He emphasized that any suggestion that the APC had invented new criteria outside the constitution was not only false but it undermines the credibility of the party’s legal framework.
Much of the controversy arose from a newspaper report claiming that the APC had announced new criteria for elections. Among them was a clause awarding 20% weight to loyalty and party service, alongside leadership and governance experience.
Kamara flatly denied these claims. “Those criteria are not from the APC. I saw them myself on social media, but they were not produced by the party. Social media today is polluted as anyone can just wake up, write anything, and push it out as though it came from the APC.” He insisted. He linked this to a broader trend of misinformation online, citing another false report currently circulating that the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) has ordered the APC to reinstate expelled former Vice President Samuel Sam Sumana. “That is completely fictitious,” Kamara said. “The PPRC has not issued such a directive. It is unfortunate that people are enjoying polluting social media with such misleading information.”
According to him, the party has not yet designed or approved criteria of the nature being speculated. “As far as we are concerned, those so-called criteria are not official and are not part of our electoral framework.
Kamara further explained that the party is currently focused on concluding its lower level elections before shifting attention to the much anticipated flagbearer contest. “When we get to the stage of selecting our flagbearer, the party will communicate the process clearly. But for now, no criteria for that stage have been finalized.” He noted.
The clarification comes at a time when political observers have been closely monitoring developments within the APC, Sierra Leone’s main opposition party, as it positions itself ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Kamara acknowledged that misinformation can create anxiety among party members and the public but urged supporters to rely on official channels for accurate information. “People should not allow themselves to be misled by false reports, the APC remains committed to democratic processes and to ensuring that our elections are conducted fairly, transparently, and in line with our constitution,” he said.
