By Steven Ngauja in Kono
A prominent figure of the opposition Coalition for Change (C4C) has announced his intention to ditch it for the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).
Kai Lawrence Mbayoh, a founding member of C4C and one of its foot soldiers during the campaigns for the 2018 general elections, told Politico that he took the decision as a protest against the “misdirection” the party is leading under the leadership of former Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana whom he accused of mortgaging the party to the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC).
“I have decided to finally move to the SLPP because I am no longer comfortable to belong to the C4C, because it has absolutely deviated from the true course we all planned to pursue,” Mbayoh said on a telephone interview.
“The C4C was formed as a result of the maltreatment put on us by the APC, but currently the leadership of C4C is closely moving with the APC and I can’t afford to move in that direction, not even for any worth of offer,” he added.
Mbayoh’s comment put to an end two years of speculation about his political future, after his appointment as deputy minister of Sports in the Bio administration.
His departure is widely seen as a big blow to C4C, for which he was instrumental in ensuring huge political gains in the 2018 elections.
C4C was formed as a protest move by the Kono people against the then ruling APC-led government over what they considered as ill-treatment of the people of the district, notably the sacking of Sam-Sumana as Vice President, following his expulsion from the APC. Sam-Sumana’s expulsion from the party was the culmination of a protracted power struggle with then President Ernest Bai Koroma. The Konos were also unhappy with the sacking of the former Mayor of Koidu City, Saa Emerson Lamina, among many other grievances bordering on the neglect of the district in terms of development.
Sam-Sumana subsequently ran for the presidency under the C4C ticket and emerged a distant 4th with just 4 percent of the vote in the first round. But the party made history by winning eight out of nine parliamentary seats in the district, taking all the seats from the APC. In addition, C4C also won all council seats, including the mayoral seat.
Mbayoh was credited for playing a major role in that political success, as head of the party’s media team.
But crack began appearing when the presidential election went into the second round.
The then SLPP candidate, Julius Maada Bio was to face off with the incumbent APC candidate Samura Kamara. C4C was seen as a major factor on who would emerge winner in what was already a very tight race.
There were reports that Sam-Sumana was rooting for the APC. At the end, C4C decided not to officially endorse any candidate.
Mbayoh was among a few members of C4C who defied the party’s official on-the-fence stance and publicly campaigned for the SLPP.
His appointment as deputy minister is apparently a reward for that role.
In explaining his decision to change political party, Mbayoh said Sam-Sumana’s actions amounted to abuse of himself and the other party members who made huge sacrifices to ensure the party’s eventual political triumph. He noted that the indecisiveness of the leadership of C4C in crucial matters involving the party, including Sam-Sumana’s recent closeness with the leadership of APC, especially the former president, who undemocratically sacked him, was worrisome and a “disgrace” to the party and its purpose of formation.
Mbayoh added that this is what has left him with no confidence in the party, hence his decision to defect.
According to Mbayoh, 95 percent of the membership of C4C are currently without their membership cards. He said all of those are in the possession of the party’s leadership.
Mbayoh is expected to make the official declaration later this month. It is also expected that this may coincide with a pending visit by First Lady Fatima Bio to Kono for the official launch of the Hands Off our Girls campaign in the district.
A C4C spokesman dismissed the impending defection of Mbayoh as insignificant.
Koigor Alicious Foh, National Secretary General of C4C, said Mbayoh has never been a member of the party and therefore there is no need to talk about him leaving the party. Foh said Mbayoh only sympathized with the party. He added that people like Mbayoh thought that C4C was a party for the Kono people and decided to leave it as soon as they realized that wasn’t the case.
Foh also dismissed suggestions that Sam-Sumana was leading the party to the APC.
“That is very unfortunate, Sam Sumana is not C4C. That’s one distinction we have to make. So he cannot just take the party to APC,” he said.
According to Foh, Sam-Sumana is only pursuing a reconciliatory line that his critics have misinterpreted.
“Sam Sumana is a peace ambassador. He believes in peace and that’s what he preaches,” he said.
© 2019 Politico Online
