Category: Opinions

Freetown, 7th April 2026- In an unprecedented and controversial move, Parliament this week decided to set up a special committee to investigate National Elections Watch (NEW), a large coalition of civil society organisations and the country’s leading election observer body. The motion was introduced by two ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) members, Mustapha Sellu and Ambrose Lebby, and adopted by a largely SLPP-dominated Parliament, as the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) continued its boycott of elected duties.

Freetown, 7th April 2026- Dr. Bangura’s academic training and international experience form a significant part of his public profile. He is widely regarded as a highly accomplished academic with global exposure, bringing comparative perspectives, international networks, and modern administrative practices that can contribute to national development.

Today marks eight years since Julius Maada Bio was first declared the duly elected President of Sierra Leone following the second round of voting. Years before that, a few compatriots from university and I invested our time, energy, and limited resources in building a social movement aimed at ending APC misrule in 2018. That movement resonated with many Sierra Leoneans who, by then, seemed exhausted by the APC’s multidimensional failures.

The controversy surrounding the nomination of Macky Sall for United Nations Secretary-General has exposed deeper fault lines within the African Union (AU).

Whether Bio’s strategy yields lasting diplomatic gains or deepens domestic discontent will depend on how these external engagements translate into measurable improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens. For now, the symbolism of a handshake in Miami may resonate abroad. But within Sierra Leone, where many continue to navigate economic hardship and fragile public services, legitimacy may ultimately be determined not in foreign capitals, but at home.