Freetown, 23rd December 2025- Former Vice President Alhaji Chief Samuel Sam‑Sumana’s political future within the All People’s Congress (APC) has been given fresh momentum after the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) confirmed that he has been a continuous member of the party for five years since his readmission in 2020.
The ruling effectively positions him to meet the constitutional threshold required to contest for the APC’s flagbearer position.
The PPRC ruling clarified that Sam‑Sumana’s membership was validly restored at an extended National Advisory Committee (NAC) meeting on September 8, 2020. Acting as the National Delegates Conference (NDC) under emergency provisions during the COVID‑19 state of emergency, the NAC unanimously agreed to readmit him.
Attempts to tie his readmission to a later endorsement by the NDC were deemed improper and inserted in bad faith by the then APC Secretary General. The Commission ordered that his membership card be corrected to reflect the 2020 readmission date, not 2023.
The Commission reaffirmed that Sam‑Sumana’s expulsion from the APC in 2014 was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2015, making that matter closed under judicial finality. However, it stressed that his status changed in 2020 when the NAC readmitted him, meaning he has been a legitimate member of the APC ever since.
With the Commission’s clarification, Sam‑Sumana has now completed five uninterrupted years of APC membership from September 2020 to December 2025. This milestone is crucial because Article 56(b) of the APC Constitution requires at least five years of continuous, paid‑up membership to contest for the party’s flagbearer position.
The PPRC ruled that Article 56(b) is restrictive but not discriminatory, and does not violate Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution. It remains valid, though the APC has been advised to seek legal guidance on its retroactive application.
The ruling also criticized the APC’s Interim Transitional Governance Committee (ITGC) for acting in bad faith when it disqualified Sam‑Sumana from the 2023 flagbearer race without directly informing him or providing reasons, while allowing another candidate who had previously contested under a different party.
The party’s Disciplinary and Grievance Handling Committee (DGHC) was also faulted for wrongly claiming it lacked jurisdiction to hear his complaint in 2025.
The PPRC’s decision not only cements Sam‑Sumana’s membership status but also rekindles his hopes of contesting for the APC flagbearer position. For Sam‑Sumana, the confirmation of five consecutive years of membership strengthens his standing within the party and reopens the door to leadership ambitions.
For the APC, the ruling is a reminder to uphold fairness, transparency, and accountability in its internal processes, especially as Sierra Leone heads toward another cycle of high‑stakes elections.
A reliable source has confirmed to Truth Media that the APC NAC will meet tomorrow to authorise the party’s official response.
