-Dr Ibrahim Bangura
By Saidu Dumbuya
Flagbearer hopeful of the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC), Dr Ibrahim Bangura has recentlydisclosed that he is on a mission to make Sierra Leone a model of envy.
According to Dr IbrahimBangura, like majority of SierraLeoneans his educational journey was forged in the samefires as theirs, the dusty roadsof Mambolo in Kambia District,and the pothole-riddenstreets of central Freetown,where he grew up, were notjust pathways but lifelinesthat connected him to theheart of the nation.
“I attended schools whereresources were scarce, andfacilities were lacking, so Iunderstand the problems in ourpublic schools,” the academic heavy weights-cum-politician disclosed.
Meanwhile, a good number of people who read Dr Ibrahim Bangura’s message on social media have opined that having a presidential candidate that went through such hard way of schooling is more knowledgeable about what it takes to attend a government school and is therefore the best person to entrust the ticket for a better result in that sector.
They furthered that Dr Ibrahim Bangura is a true embodiment of brilliance, discipline and dedication, and therefore, if given the opportunity to serve as flagbearer of the APC ahead of the 2028 general elections, he would be in a better place to deliver as he already knows the problems of government and government assisted schools.
According to many quarters, unlike other APC flagbearer aspirants, Dr Ibrahim Bangura is on record to have suffered the brunt of hardship throughout his school and young days and he therefore knows what it means to live in deprived communities.
Dr Ibrahim Bangura, during a meeting recentlyheld in Freetown, proudly informed members and supporters of the APC that he was born and raised in the APC and will also die as APC member. According to him, true leadership is not about exclusion; it is about harnessing every strength.
He recalled his father’s legacy in the APC and referred to him as a pillar of the Youth League, as he rose through the ranks of the party to become the National Organising Secretary.
Dr Bangura stated that his father is more than politics, stressing that he possess inherent human qualities including compassion, empathy and sense of community. According to the academic heavy weight-cum-politician, the APC office on Pademba Road became more than a stronghold as it became the backdrop where love exists, pointing out that his father met the woman who would become his wife there, and that love gave birth to Ibrahim Bangura. “Yes, literally and politically, I am a child of the AllPeoples Congress,” Dr. Bangura reminisced.
Also, Dr Bangura disclosed that at the age of 15, he formed ‘The Rising Sun,’ a movement of young minds, comprising children of the APC committed to carrying the torch. He furthered that by the year 2000, he was at university, establishing and leading the APC Students’ Movement.
Dr Ibrahim Bangura further that he invited Ernest Bai Koroma to Fourah Bay College in 2002 to campaign, and he acceded to power in 2007. But unlike others, who lined up for rewards, he chose a different path. He left to further his studies, sharpening the tools he would later use in service of the APC and the nation.
In 2018, when the APC lost the elections, he did not run out of the kitchen, but offered himself for National Secretary General.
He further disclosed that when the NRM storm broke out, it was him that the party leadership contacted, and in his wisdom, he chose party peace over personal ambition; and with the wisdom of a mediator and the integrity of a patriot, he helped mend fences, much to the appreciation of many quarters. Since then, he went on, he has been a tireless contributor, serving on the Constitutional Review Committee, the Manifesto Committee, and strategic platforms ahead of both the 2018 and 2023 general elections.
According to party members and supporters, Dr Ibrahim Bangura’s ink of fingerprints is on the party’s very playbook.
Delving in his slogan: “Heal, Unite, Build”, Dr Ibrahim Bangura recommitted his commitment to competent and decisive leadership that will protect the votes of the APC and change the face of Sierra Leone, while being positive that the APC would form the next government after the 2028 general elections.
He however promised that even his rivals of today will find a seat at the table tomorrow should he emerge the APC flagbearer after the 2026 National Delegates Conference (NDC).
“If we’re serious about unity, we must lead respectfully, every APC member or supporter is my brother and sister. We must not tear down what we intend to build. True leadership is not about exclusion; it is about harnessing every strength,” the unblemished politician reiterated.
Meanwhile, a good number of APC and non-APC supporters have described his message as one of healing and not of division.
