In a statement on Tuesday, the APC called for the resignation of the head of the Commission, Mohamed N’Fa Allie Conteh, whom it accused of incompetence and for endangering the peace and stability of the country.
The decision by the APC is in relation to the just concluded controversial bye-election for a local council seat in the northern part of the country. The election in Kambia District, a stronghold of
the APC, was won by the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).
The APC believes it won and that the Electoral Commission rigged it in favor of its main rival.
The APC says its decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s National Advisory Committee, its most powerful decision making organ.
“The NAC, having carefully and diligently reviewed the conduct of the National Electoral Commission in the recent bye-election in Ward 196 in Tonko Limba Chiefdom, Kambia District, has reached the unanimous decision that it will no longer participate in any future elections conducted by NEC under the leadership of Mr Mohamed N’Fa Allie Conteh,” the statement reads in part.
It added: “Consequently, the APC will not nominate any candidate in the pending bye election in Ward 257 in Port Loko District.” The statement went on to say that the party has lost faith, trust and
confidence in the NEC in its current state which it described as “incompetent, impartial” and lacking in credibility to conduct any future elections. It warned that such a situation poses threat to
national unity, security and stability.
The Kambia bye-election, held on March 9, has raised political tension, nearly a year after the disputed general elections that brought President Julius Maada Bio to power. Bio’s SLPP defeated the
APC to bring an end to 10-years rule of the latter. But the APC has still not officially accepted the outcome of that election.
Civil society groups condemned the conduct of the Kambia bye-election in a damning report after the results were announced.