By Mohamed Foday Conteh
In the petition case over the eligibility of the candidacy of Dr. Samura Kamara, to contest as the presidential aspirant of the All Peoples Congress (APC) party in the 2018 general elections in Sierra Leone, the Supreme Court has ruled that he was eligible to contest the election at the period under review.
The 22nd September ruling emanates from an application filed by Plaintiff Mohamed Ayoba Joaque for an enlargement of time in order to file a petition objecting the nomination of Dr. Kamara to contest as the presidential candidate for the APC.
Joaque filed the said application on the 3rd March 2018, weeks to the elections to the Supreme Court.
The plaintiff questioned Dr. Kamara’s eligibility on allegations that he holds a British citizenship and was serving as a Minister in the erstwhile administration of President Ernest Bai Koroma; first as the Minister of Finance and later as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Joaque had alleged in his originating notice of motion through his lawyers that Dr. Kamara acted fraudulently with regards to the said citizenship.
On the 5th March 2018, counsel representing the first defendant Dr. Kamara, lawyer S.K. Koroma said that the Supreme Court lacked the jurisdiction to sit on the matter. Counsel representing the second defendant, the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Beryl Cummings supported the argument made by lawyer Koroma.
The Supreme Court also noted that the plaintiff did not show any proof of the claims made against the first defendant.
The Supreme Court presided over by Justices Nicholas Browne-Marke, Eku Roberts, Vivian Solomon and Glenna Thompson ruled in favour of both defendants and ordered that the cost of the proceeding be shouldered by Joaque.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (24/09/21)
