There have been running battles in the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown between opposition supporters and the police on Friday.
Reports indicate that scores of people have been arrested at the headquarters of the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) where the police are trying to prevent an unauthorized demonstration.
The protests come after the APC declared Thursday and Friday as Red Days, ordering all its supporters to dress in red, the official color of the party, in protests against the political situation in the country.
But Friday’s protests also coincide with much anticipated rulings at the High Court on protracted petition cases against 16 APC MPs.
As of 12pm, reports from the courts indicate that the party has lost ten seats out of the total of 16 seats petitioned.
According to the judges’ ruling, nine of the seats were automatically awarded to the runners-up in the elections, all of whom are members of the governing Sierra Leone Peoples Party.
This raises the number of seats for the SLPP to 57.
The APC, which still has majority, now has 58.
APC lost the presidency to the SLPP in last year’s election that brought President Julius Maada Bio to power.
KC/abj/APA