By Ayodele Deen Cole
The National Publicity Secretary of All Peoples Congress (APC),Sidi Yayah Tunis has disclosed that in a recent meeting with the Political Parties Regulations Commission (PPRC), the party presented its rules and regulations for the upcoming lower-level elections to be conducted across the country.
The submission, according to the APC mouthpiece, comes in the wake of the official release of the timeline for the APC’s lower-level elections and its National Delegates’ Convention (NDC), which is scheduled for 2026.
Speaking to a local media outlet, Tunis explained that the rules will guide the conduct of all lower-level elections, including the election of the party’s presidential flagbearer ahead of the 2028 Presidential Elections.
According to Article One of the document, ward-level elections will be held in areas demarcated by the National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, in line with the Public Elections Act No. 4 of 2012. The Interim Transitional Governance Committee (ITGC) will set the date for each ward election no later than ten days before voting takes place.
To qualify as a candidate in ward elections, members must have been registered and fully paid-up for at least one year prior to the election. Contested positions at the ward level include Ward Chairman, Deputy Ward Chairman, Ward Secretary, Ward Organizing Secretary, and Ward Women’s Leader, among others.
Article Two outlines the structure of constituency conventions, to be conducted in all designated constituencies nationwide. More than 15 positions will be contested at this level. Similarly, district conventions will follow, with specific provisions extending recognition to the party’s Diaspora membership, which will be treated as a formal region pursuant to Article 31(e) of the APC Constitution (adopted March 7, 2022).
The National Women’s Congress will also convene a special conference to elect its officers, in accordance with Article 26(e) of the Constitution, with 15 key positions open for contest.
Special conventions for the National Veterans Congress and the National Young Congress are also planned. Members aged 18 to 35 will be eligible to vote in the Youth Congress elections.
Article Nine of the party document details the National Delegates’ Conference (NDC), which must be held within 28 days following the lower-level elections. The NDC will elect 12 non-executive members to the National Advisory Committee (NAC), as well as key executive positions including National Chairman, Deputy Chairman, National Secretary-General, and National Organizing Secretary, among others.
Crucially, the NDC will also elect the party’s presidential flagbearer for the 2028 general elections.
Eligible voting delegates for the NDC will include 15 representatives from the National Young Congress (including its leader and secretary), 20 from the National Union of APC Students (NUAS), 15 from the Women’s Conference, 50 from the Diaspora, 10 former APC Members of Parliament, 10 former councillors, and five representatives of persons living with disabilities
