Freetown, 21st October 2025- The All Peoples’ Congress (APC) has issued a strongly worded statement expressing deep concern over remarks allegedly made by Mr. Jimmy Batilo Songa, the newly elected Chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), during his public acceptance ceremony.
According to the APC, Mr. Songa was recorded calling on “the President, the Army, Soldiers, and Marshals to stop the APC in 2028”, a statement the opposition party describes as a dangerous appeal for partisan involvement by state security forces.
“This declaration goes beyond ordinary political rhetoric,” the APC said. “It is a troubling call for the involvement of state institutions in political affairs, a move that directly contradicts the Constitution of Sierra Leone, which mandates that such institutions remain professional, impartial, and loyal only to the State and its citizens.”
The APC warned that such utterances threaten democratic governance and risk undermining the neutrality of institutions tasked with safeguarding peace and stability. The party further stated that if the intent of Mr. Songa’s remarks is to prevent the APC from winning a future election, it amounts to an attempt to subvert the sovereign will of the people.
“Sierra Leone’s peace was earned through great national sacrifice,” the statement continued. “Any suggestion that our armed forces should be used to suppress political competition is both unconstitutional and unacceptable.”
In its call for action the party demands a clear and immediate public reassurance from President Julius Maada Bio that all state institutions, especially the security services, will remain neutral and will not be used for political suppression.
A formal refutation of Mr. Songa’s remarks by the SLPP leadership to demonstrate their commitment to democracy, peace, and the rule of law and continued vigilance by regional and international partners, including ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, the Commonwealth, and the United Nations, regarding Sierra Leone’s evolving political climate.
The statement, signed by Acting National Chairman Amb. Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh, reaffirmed the APC’s commitment to peace, national stability, and democratic principles. The party urged its members and supporters to remain calm, law-abiding, and resolute in defending the integrity of Sierra Leone’s democracy through peaceful and constitutional means.
“The destiny of Sierra Leone must be determined only by the free and fair choices of its people through the ballot box and by no other means,” the statement concluded.
