Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara looks like he is going to be flag bearer for the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC). He is an academic of no small standing. Samurai has had a lengthy experience in working for international institutions like the Commonwealth, IMF etc. And in Sierra Leone he has served at the highest level of administrative and political cadre. His length of service is so long that his experience makes him an attractive candidate. For the second time it looks like the party (APC) is going to vote him to be it’s flag bearer for the June 2023 elections. Definitely not a wrong candidate. But is his candidacy going on without a hitch this time? Time, they say will tell.
While serving as Sierra Leone’s Foreign Affairs Minister under President Ernest Bai Koroma’, the Chinese government donated $6,000,000( six million united states’dollars) for the renovation of our chancery in America. And from all indications this money was “misappropriated and not properly accounted for”.
This has prompted an ACC case against the favoured Samurai Kamara as APC flag bearer. The matter has dragged on for some time now which has put the APC in a dilemma as whether to drop a favoured candidate with corruption matter over his head or continue with him.
The matter is a genuine one and far from Samurai Kamara being framed. Justice Adrian Fischer is presiding and so much money has been spent to gather evidence. In all of this corruption case the APC has stuck with Samura Kamara like he is the only pebble on the beach.
Elections are about four months from now and the APC party seems to be behind schedule in going to convention and choosing a presidential candidate. Can Samura Kamara make it as a flag bearer and be cleared by the court to go to the polls? It remains a guess game for Sierra Leone and the international community.
Again is the SLPP party in governance using this as a trap to easily get a second term? It’s a wait – and – see. And whatever outcome will be a test for the independence of our judiciary.
To play safe, the APC must have a plan B or plan C which is wise and commonsensical. There are other candidates in the APC who are equally capable. Pinning hopes on one candidate when there are other capable ones can be described at best as foolhardy.
The SLPP, after being in the political wilderness for eleven years definitely wants a second term and they are working hard towards it already even in hard economic times globally.
The APC party should think wise and not make the flag bearer issue a one – man- show. Where are people like Omrie Golley, Sam Sumana ,Kelfala Marrah, and others? As it is Samura Kamara does not look like a safe bet. So in the event he is found guilty they will be left with the difficult task of choosing a candidate at the eleventh hour.