Speaker Thomas Engages Opposition Leaders of Parliament

Freetown, 26^th March, 2026 – The Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Segepoh Solomon Thomas held a fruitful meeting with the opposition leadership of Parliament on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

The meeting was aimed at engaging the opposition to resume their participation in parliamentary sittings.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, explained that their decision to stay aloof from governance was rooted in the appointment of Mr. Edmond Alpha as the New Chief Electoral Commissioner for Sierra Leone. The Opposition Leader maintained that the new appointee should be excluded from the conduct or supervision of the 2028 elections.

Having heard the opposition’s concerns, the Rt. Hon. Speaker appealed to the delegation to put aside partisan differences and resume parliamentary activities. He emphasized that the decision of the executive should not be a reason to boycott Parliament and encouraged the opposition to express their concerns in different forms other than boycotting Parliament as Parliament is a different branch of government, adding that, they were elected to serve the people of Sierra Leone.

The Rt. Hon. Speaker highlighted several constitutional amendments that are awaiting parliamentary action and encouraged the opposition to participate in this historic process.

He thanked the Opposition Leaders for honoring his invitation and assured them that he would convey the meeting’s outcome to H.E President Julius Maada Bio, seeking a holistic approach to addressing the current stalemate in governance.

The meeting reflects a positive step towards strengthening parliamentary democracy and the promotion of bipartisan cooperation in Sierra Leone. The Rt. Hon. Speaker’s efforts to engage with the opposition demonstrate his commitment to ensuring effective governance and efficient representation in Parliament.

The outcome of the meeting is expected to pave the way for the opposition’s return to parliamentary proceedings, thereby fostering a more inclusive and collaborative approach to addressing the country’s governance challenges.