By Andrew Keili (PONDER MY THOUGHTS)
Don’t get confused by the caption above. If you are from the Mende tribe and steeped into politics, you may understand but if not, please read to the end.
I am a bit reticent to write about the APC’s flagbearer quest for various reasons, one of which is that I consider myself an equal opportunity dissector of information on the political landscape, obligating me to also write about the SLPP and other parties. For the SLPP, however, I will wait for President Bio to remove the sword of Damocles he has wielded over potential aspirants, after admonishing them to stay away from campaigning and do their work.
Now that I have given my excuse, I will write about the APC flagbearer quest, not from the viewpoint of analysing the race but from the interesting perspective of the number of young people and women who seem to have expressed an interest at this stage for a position normally reserved for older and more experienced party functionaries.
APC’s flagbearer list before the last convention to choose the party’s flagbearer was a who’s who of party elders. The list at that time included Ambassador to China Alimamy Petito Koroma who launched PAM (Petito Alimamy Movement), Joseph Sam Sesay, Agriculture Minister and former Presidential Adviser and the USA based Abdul Kalokoh who touted his supreme party credentials as “one of the fearless battlefield commanders and one of the lawyers that defended Johnny Paul Koroma”. It also included Mines Minister Minkailu Mansaray, Defence Minister Paolo Conteh, Finance Minister and former Bank Governor, Dr. Keifala Marrah, former Presidential Affairs Minister Dr. Richard Konteh (the unifier), ACC boss Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara (JFK), mining magnate John Bono Sesay, Momoh Vandy and of course the eventual winner, Dr. Samura Kamara. Former Vice President Samuel Sam Sumana was ruled out to be ineligible. Two notable aspirants who will be absent from the list this time round are Alpha Kanu, (Alpha Khan, as he is popularly known), the holder of several top ministerial positions who described himself as “Ernest Koroma’s apprentice” who has now swopped vehicles and is a top assistant to a rival driver and Former Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh who jumped ship from the scorching sun to greener pastures.
It is not known which of these heavy weights join the new crop of older aspirants like “Jagaban”, Omrie Golley and others to keep the flame burning, but some of them have indicated they are still in the running. One newspaper reported JFK as saying: “I am already in the pitch waiting for the whistle. I never stepped out of the pitch. Others are not even on the sub-bench, let alone on the touchline.”
Well, the young ones have got off the sub-bench and are now also on the pitch!
The Ady Macauley (ex ACC boss) team describes its candidate as a dedicated legal professional who stands ready to bring transformative change. They say he has demonstrated a commitment to accountability and justice and has a “comprehensive plan for a corruption-free, economically strong, socially equitable, and politically stable Sierra Leone.” Their slogan is “Together, Ady4You”.
The young MP, Osman Timbo, has highlighted APC’s significant internal divisions- “This disunity has undermined our ability to effectively operate as a responsible opposition party ready to take up governance and address the issues of our nation.” He has challenged party leaders to confront the “real issues” hindering unity, emphasizing that honesty and truthfulness are essential for progress and says internal reform will be a central theme of his campaign.
Dr. Ibrahim Bangura, an academic, who despite his young age has been very active in the party for a long time and instrumental in its campaigns professes to want to heal, unite and build APC. He has said that “together we can heal divisions, foster unity and build a brighter future for Sierra Leone”. He has made several policy pronouncements one of which is to have functional decentralisation and inclusive rural digitalisation.
Mayor Yvonne Aki Sawyer seems to be the only woman so far that who has expressed an interest in vying. She needs no introduction and is now embroiled in criticising the government’s plan to divide the city of Freetown.
It will be interesting to see how much influence this new wave candidates will have over a traditional party and how the old guard will fare against them. As with any flagbearer race the party is supreme and it is the delegates at a convention who will do the voting.
I know I said I was not going to write about the SLPP. I however took the liberty to get assistance from AI on potential aspirants by plugging in some attributes of intending flagbearers. The ten attributes I plugged into AI are as follows:
- They don’t know who they are
Whenever you read a media story on someone associated with politics with the caption- “Who is Mr. XYZ?”, it means the supporters of Mr. XYZ want his “special attributes” to be brought to the notice of the unsuspecting readers. In some cases, it may be also be true that even Mr. XYZ does not quite know who he is and what he stands for but depends on what his handlers think.
- They are loved and loathed in equal measure
In the current political landscape, all potential aspirants would have their media team and be supported by bloggers who take no prisoners as far as their opponents are concerned. The potential aspirant is loved by his followers and loathed by those supporting other aspirants.
- They spend money like drunken sailors
Potential aspirants support any cause worth supporting and like drunken sailors spend big on all kinds of causes. University students, churches and mosques, Ataya bases and all kinds of organisations benefit from this unexpected windfall.
- They can trace their attachments to all areas of the country
You often hear statements from aspirants such as: “I was born in Mambolo in the North. My mother came from Pidegumahun in the South and my father worked in Panguma in the East. My mother tells me I was actually conceived in Waterloo. I went to school in Bo. One of your Fullah sisters in Kabala has a daughter for me. My wife is from Freetown.” Talk about being all things to all men!
- They support customary groups
Poro, Wonde, Orjeh and Bondo society groups have benefitted a lot from political aspirants. Not to forget Hunting societies which often allow them to wield a wooden gun at the front of a group of militant followers.
- They suddenly start playing important visible roles in their alumni association celebrations
Not everyone is guilty as charged because of this, but if the immense interest is sudden and accompanied by publicity, it is suspicious.
- They start referring to themselves in slogans and profess to caring for the downtrodden
Actually, some of these slogans are catchy- “The ABC movement”, “Let’s build Sierra Leone”, “The common man’s friend”, “The leader you can trust”. The message is made to permeate to the downtrodden in their various abodes.
- All their non-nefarious activities are covered by the media
They have formidable press teams that cover their various activities obviously leaving any nefarious ones out. When every speech made to one group or another is covered and when the whole world knows you have travelled, you become a prime suspect.
- Their religion is “Christmus”
Memorising the Alfatia and the Lord’s prayer and being as comfortable in Church and Mosque settings endears the aspirant to believers of both religions- not that Churches and mosques mind that, especially in this our society that practices religious tolerance.
- They send out congratulatory messages on anniversaries
Why else would anyone send congratulatory messages to Sierra Leoneans for big anniversaries like independence, Christmas, Eid ul Fitri etc. especially to ALL Sierra Leoneans?
OK, so what did AI come up with by incorporating these various criteria into its algorithm? Well, the answer came out ok but only the initials were produced and they were scrambled. Here they are- YKK, SDM, KA, TMS, OJB, EAS, KFB, JMJ, KMT. I’ve tried to figure these out but I couldn’t. Perhaps you can!
One thing that can be said categorically about the flagbearer race-Only one person will be the winner for APC and one person for SLPP and there will only eventually be only one President. Another thing about the flagbearer race is that it will be determined by delegates at a party convention. Anyone who has been in such a race will know that some untrustworthy delegates often feel they are known by that name because they are “delicate” and may even go so far as to refer to aspirants as “perspirants”-you figure! I recall the story of an SLPP aspirant some fifteen years ago who got only one vote from the “delicates”. Her main supporter who was also a delegate who had accompanied her on her campaign tours (often pocketing most of the funds) tried to defend himself-“Na me vote for you so! The lady turned towards him in anger- “Idiot! You mean a nor vote for me sef?
This brings me to the heading of this`”ponder”. “Femei gba, memei gba, kluamei gba” refers to the unreliability of delegates and means “The point of paying (money to delegates) is a separate matter, that for chopping (of money) is also a separate matter, the casting (of votes) is entirely separate (and may be unrelated to both).
We are living in interesting times. Aspirants beware! – Femei gba, memei gba, kluamei gba!
Ponder my thoughts.
Vote Marah, Save SLAJ