By: Saidu Jalloh
A High Court Judge in Freetown, Justice Momoh Jah Stevens, has officially dismissed a petition challenging the legitimacy of the election of Paramount Chief Bai Forkeh FainKai II, bringing an end to a legal dispute that had persisted since 2024.
The case was filed by one of the eight contenders in the 2022 Paramount Chieftaincy election, alleging electoral irregularities and claiming that the vote was neither free nor fair. However, the court ruled in favor of the Paramount Chief, affirming the validity of the election and upholding his leadership.
Speaking after the ruling, Madam Forkeh FainKai, wife of the Paramount Chief, expressed profound gratitude and reaffirmed the people’s support for her husband.
“My husband contested against eight candidates and won the run-off election by 298 votes,” she stated. “The election process was transparent every group had a representative, and the people came out in large numbers to vote for the future of our chiefdom.”
She added, “We have been attending court since November 2024. I personally supported the legal team, working closely with Lawyer Saccoh throughout the process. Now that the matter has been settled, we are calling on everyone including those who challenged the results to unite and work for the betterment of Maforkie Chiefdom.”
Amadu, the Chiefdom Administrative Clerk, provided further insight into the election timeline and its legitimacy.
“The first round of the election was held in July 2022, but no candidate met the required 55% threshold. A run-off was conducted in August, during which the current Paramount Chief secured victory. He assumed office shortly after being officially declared the winner,” Amadu explained. “This petition has kept us in court for the past eight months, but justice has now been served.”
Chiefdom Speaker Alimamy A. Kamara also commended the judiciary for ensuring fairness and transparency.
“Justice has been delivered,” Kamara declared. “Not everyone will support you when you are in leadership, but that’s part of life. Even while the case was ongoing, our Paramount Chief continued serving the people and remained focused on uniting and developing the chiefdom.”
He continued, “Maforkie is one of the largest chiefdoms in Sierra Leone, with about 20 sections. The people have already seen positive changes and have remained supportive of their Chief. They did not want this distraction to derail the progress we are witnessing.”
Speaker Kamara called for reconciliation and collective effort:
“We are all one family. Even the petitioner, at one point, congratulated the Paramount Chief, and they were seen together in public. That gesture reflects the path forward reconciliation and service.”
With the dismissal of the petition, Paramount Chief Bai Forkeh FainKai II can now continue his leadership without legal obstacles. Community members say they are optimistic about the future and are hopeful that the chiefdom will now move forward in peace and development.
The Paramount Chief’s leadership has pledged to be inclusive, calling on all stakeholders regardless of past differences to join hands in fostering unity, progress, and transformation in Maforkie Chiefdom.