Pujehun, Bo, Kailahun endorsed Maada Bio
January 18, 2017 By Mohamed Massaquoi
Justice Babatunde Edwards will today rule on a supplemental affidavit presented by the lead counsel for the plaintiffs/applicants, Lawyer Sulamian Bajan Tejan-Sie for the national delegates convention of the Sierra Leones Peoples Party (SLPP) to be delayed to an uncertain time restraining another faction from going ahead with the February 24-26 event in Kenema, eastern Sierra Leone.
But the lead defense counsel Umaru Koroma argued that as opposition, party granting an injunction would create heinous challenges, adding that his position remains the same – just as he had opposed the application of 8th December, 2016 seeking, among others, an injunction to restrain the defendants, who were duly elected officers of the SLPP, from running the affairs of the party.
“We have filed an affidavit dated 5th January, 2017.The plaintiffs in this matter are asking this court to grant an injunction against the officers of the SLPP as the main opposition party with about 42 Members of Parliament, which activities are regulated by these officers,” he submitted.
It could be recalled that a faction within the SLPP had filed an action in the High Court late last year seeking to prevent regional primaries from going ahead as planned, alleging gross irregularities in the lower level elections.
However, the Bench will rule today on the application before the substantive matter would commence.
Amidst all of the intra-party disputes, thousands of members of the SLPP in Pujehun, Bo and Kailahun respectively have over the weekend openly endorsed one of the flag barrier aspirants, Retired brigadier Julius Maada Bio to be elected in the forthcoming delegates conference.
The decision was made during an auspicious occasion organised by the various regional bodies of the party who believed that the best way possible for the opposition is to elect Bio as the presidential candidate.
In Pujehun, Bo and Kailahun, traditional dancers came out in their numbers to show solidarity with the SLPP especially, considering the current status of the party and to ask all of those who have in one way or the other expressed desertification to come together as a unit to propagate the ideology of the SLPP.
SLPP Pujehun District Chairman, Eddy Mansalay, said they were not only in support of Maada Bio but to also ensure he is the next president of the Sierra Leone, as the country yearns for quality leadership since the ruling All Peoples Congress took over the mantle of leadership.
“We want the entire nation to know that Bio has the quality to appropriately represent SLPP in the general election. We are pleased to have somebody like him to have showed interest in leading the people of Sierra Leone and to provide quality leadership. I am sure if he is elected, he will develop Pujehun and the Entire country” he said, adding that they actually invited Bio so that they can declare their loyalty to him.
SLPP Chairman for constituency 88, Stevin Sitta, said he was pleased to have developed somebody to the caliber of Bio as he was the first person to have prepared the SLPP leader to his primary school examination.
He said they were not under any duress to support but that willing to provide whatever support for Bio to become president of Sierra Leone, and that the entire constituency has agreed that he be the sole candidate despite their brother Munda Rogers is from that area.
In Bo it was a different occasion, supporters lined up the streets from Koribondo Road to the Bo Coronation Field to inaugurate the district executives and to allow delegates to surrender their support for Bio.
SLPP Bo district Chairman, Alhaji Kanja Sesay, said the people elected them on the grounds that they will surrender their support to Bio and that they were in Bo to do the same as politic was about diligent representation.
He said the SLPP is bigger than all of them, which, was the more reason they have carefully listened to the people and have resolved to fulfill their mandate to declare Bio as their own candidate.
“We are not only reinstalling the executive but to first of all say thank you for electing us as your representatives. You asked us to give our support to Maada Bio and that is exactly what we are doing in the interest of SLPP and you,” he said.
In that occasion, the district executive and all other delegates including members of parliament came one after the other to declare for Maada Bio on the grounds that he is the most befitted person to lead the party at the moment.
In his response, Bio thanked organisers of the three separate occasions, adding that the SLPP was the melting point that brought all of them together.
He said it was an opportunity for the people to have reposed such confidence on him to lead the most prestigious position as presidential candidate for one of the oldest [political party in the country and the West Africa Sub-Region.
He said the main trust of all their efforts was for the party to win in the forthcoming general election but that a divided house will not succeeded in any developmental propramme.
He said there were good people in the party which means that Sierra .Leoneans should not lose focus based on the fact that there was intra- party struggles.
He said as a leader, he has always sacrificed for the general good of the people, adding that it was because of that good intension that he encouraged Foday Sankoh of the Revolutionary United Front RUF to make peace in the interest of the people of Sierra Leone.
“When I saw that my people were massively displaced, suffering and going through a lot of difficulties, I called on Sankoh to set aside and talk. I have sent a message to members of the alliance that we have the party constitution and that if they have any problem with me, I am always available so that we can meet and discuss. We have 112 constituencies and they said they are not pleased with some but I am sure that even if we can divide that among them I will still win,” he said, adding that he was in need of peace but would not allow anybody to derange the will of the people by ensuring that SLPP take government come 2018.