The main opposition, the All People’s Congress (APC), has reiterated its rejection of the appointment of Edmond Alpha as Chief Electoral Commissioner and Chairperson of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), issuing a 48-hour ultimatum for the decision to be reversed.
The position was announced following an emergency meeting of the party’s National Advisory Committee (NAC), where the leadership unanimously rejected the appointment, citing deep concerns over credibility and trust.
According to the APC, the decision undermines public confidence in future elections and weakens ongoing national confidence-building efforts. The party described the appointment as a direct affront to the Agreement for National Unity and a deliberate circumvention of the binding Tripartite reform process established after the disputed 2023 general elections.
The NAC recalled that opposition elected officials resumed participation in governance—including Parliament and local councils—strictly in accordance with the Agreement for National Unity, which led to the formation of the Tripartite Committee. That process, the party noted, was aimed at restoring democratic legitimacy, political stability, and public trust through agreed electoral reforms.
In this context, the APC argued that proceeding with the appointment of a Chief Electoral Commissioner under the existing constitutional framework risks reinforcing the very electoral mistrust the reform process seeks to address. The party maintained that it had formally raised serious concerns regarding Mr. Alpha’s credibility, post-election conduct, and public posture toward observers, as well as the broader perception of continuity with what it describes as a disputed electoral past.
The statement further warned that moving ahead with the appointment signals an intention to recycle contested electoral authority rather than rebuild institutional trust.
Additionally, the NAC referenced Recommendation 36 of the Tripartite Committee, which calls for the amendment of Section 32(3) of the 1991 Constitution to establish an independent Search and Nomination Committee mandated to vet and recommend suitably qualified candidates for the position.
The APC concluded by giving authorities a 48-hour deadline to reverse the appointment, warning that failure to do so could result in the party ceasing its participation in governance structures established under the national unity framework.
