APC, SLPP say they’re confident of winning
March 28, 2018 By Regina Pratt
The Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Peoples Congress(APC), Cornelius Deveaux, has boasted that whether some section of the public likes it or not his party would retain power and continue in governance.
But, Abubakarr Joe Sesay of the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) media team, countered that they have won the first round of election and that they would definitely win the presidential run-off slated for Saturday, March 31.
The two political opponents were guests on the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation ‘Morning Coffee’ on Tuesday, March 27.
Mr. Deveaux, who is also Deputy Information Minister, claimed that results of the March 7 elections were tallied electronically and that the voter register on the website of the National Electoral Commission was at variance with the one the Returning Officer, Mohamed Nfah Alie Conteh, used to certify the results.
He also alleged that when the issue was raised with NEC its officials removed it from their website.
He also maintained that results of the March 7 elections tallied electronically and posted on the NEC website was different from results in the Result Reconciliation Forms.
“Some of the issues were deliberately breached during the March 7 elections. We are prepared for the run-off elections and we have deployed our party agents for the conduct of the elections,” he said, adding that every vote cast this time around would be secured.
On the issue of the court matter, Deveaux they were not a party to the action brought against the electoral commission by Lawyer Ibrahim Sorie Koroma, but added that the ruling was a victory for democracy.
On his part, Abubakarr Joe Sesay insisted that the first round of the polling was won genuinely by the opposition, and that they would win the second round.
He frowned at the High Court interim injunction, which was subsequently vacated, stating that, “What happened disturbed the operations of NEC as there was no need for the injunction. I am happy when the judge in his own wisdom for the second time overturned the decision in the public interest.”
Responding to Deveaux’s allegations, NEC’s Christopher Jones said they would be willing to offer free training to the APC Publicity Secretary in order that he is au fait with the procedure, adding that the NEC chairperson does not handle any register of voters or certify any results.