March 21, 2018 By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma
Mic in hand: C.F. Margai backs Bio
The Peoples Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) and United National People’s Party (UNPP) yesterday declared support for the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party’s (SLPP) presidential candidate, Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio ahead of the run-off election scheduled for March 27.
They made their joint declaration at the Bintumani Hotel in Freetown.
Speaking during the declaration, former presidential candidate of PMDC, Lawyer Charles Francis Margai, described the event historic as their party gives support to their maternal party.
“It’s nice to be back home and feels comfortable to be among the prince of the SLPP. What’s being witnessed here today should, in my view, give assurance and comfort to every Sierra Leonean that we are about to embark on a new dawn of prosperity and not austerity,” he said, adding that two days ago the National Council of the party – the second highest body of the party – met to deliberate on where to throw their support and that they debated for almost two hours with and voted, as democracy demands.
The former PMDC presidential candidate said they were very pleased to declare support for the SLPP because it is the right choice, stating that it’s not just declaring their support for the SLPP but that they would work side-by-side the main opposition party to achieve victory over the ruling APC.
“I now declare our unqualified support to the SLPP. We shall always remain peaceful and this election must be free and fair election and no one can deliver this country other than no other leader but Maada Bio,” Lawyer Margai noted.
On his part, National Chairman for United National People’s Party (UNPP), Gabriel Samuka, said that in the run up to the March 27 run-off election, there was no better choice than Maada Bio.
“We want to join the SLPP party and its leadership to do our best to vote for peace and progress in this nation and do away with inequality that is prevalent in our country and to write against nepotism, tribalism and many ills in this nation,” he said.
He pledged their support to the SLPP presidential candidate, who goes into the run-off leading by more than 14,000 votes.
Chairman and leader of SLPP, Dr. Prince Harding, heartily welcomed both parties and thanked them for believing in the ideology of the party, adding that he wasn’t surprised to see PMDC and other political parties declaring for his party.
“On behalf of the party, we welcome you whole heartedly so that we can achieve the development of our country. We have been economically raped and socially and we are the least developed country in the world,” he said.
Dr. Harding said the party denounces tribalism in its entirety and that they have won the election by any standard against the ruling party, adding that their government would heterogeneous.
Brigadier Bio’s running mate, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, thanked both parties for their trust to join and work with them as a party poised to win the run-off election on March 27, adding that theirs was a wise decision they would not regret.