By: Audrey Raymonda John
The National Coordinator of the Independent Elections Management Committee (IEMC), Patrick Hassan Kamara, on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, explained to the court why the committee had been unable to complete the All People’s Congress (APC) lower-level elections in all 17 administrative districts within the period stipulated by a court order.
Testifying before Justice Adrian Fisher, Kamara said elections had been conducted in 15 of the 17 districts, while outstanding electoral activities remained affected by unresolved petitions and disputes.
He explained that petitions pending before the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the relevant election complaints bodies had prevented the completion of elections in some areas, particularly Kambia and Karene districts.
According to Kamara, petitions relating to Ward 220 and Ward 227 in Kambia District remained before the IEC, alongside another petition that was still under review. He said consultations with the relevant political parties and the resolution of outstanding complaints were necessary before the affected elections could proceed.
Explaining the sequence of events, Kamara told the court that following elections held on August 31, September 27 and September 29, 2026, several petitions were filed challenging the outcomes of certain internal party elections.
He said elections were initially conducted in ten districts before the electoral authorities proceeded with midterm by-elections in various constituencies and wards.
Following hearings by the relevant petitions review body, fresh elections were conducted in Constituency 264 in Port Loko District, Constituency 111 in the Western Area and Constituency 061 in Kambia District.
Kamara further explained that four additional petitions were heard on October 18, after which elections were conducted in Pujehun, Kono, Tonkolili, Falaba and Bo districts.
He said unresolved petitions and discrepancies in some election results could affect the selection and composition of delegates for subsequent electoral activities, potentially delaying the completion of the party’s internal electoral process.
Addressing concerns about the integrity of the elections, Kamara told the court that measures were being considered to strengthen transparency, improve election management and reduce disputes arising from the APC’s internal electoral process.
He said one proposal was to establish a pool of qualified and professional personnel to support the conduct of elections, stressing that the competence and impartiality of electoral officials were essential to ensuring credible results.
He also disclosed that officials could be transferred from one district to another to improve transparency and address concerns about the conduct of previous elections.
Kamara outlined several challenges facing electoral officials, including physical assaults, difficult working conditions, security concerns and inadequate funding.
Referring to the relocation of the Falaba District election, he explained that officials sometimes encountered difficulties travelling to remote communities, including areas around Moyamba and Kabala. He added that security challenges and announcements concerning election cancellations had also disrupted electoral activities.
He maintained that inadequate funding sometimes prevented electoral authorities from meeting operational expenses and effectively discharging their responsibilities.
Kamara called for stronger electoral institutions and additional legal powers to address contempt prevent disruptions during elections and deal with attempts to interfere with or unlawfully cancel electoral processes.
During cross-examination by Jessie Jengo, counsel for the plaintiffs, including Alfred Peter Conteh, Kamara confirmed that the elections held on August 31, 2026, were conducted pursuant to a court order.
He also confirmed that he was the National Coordinator of the IEMC and was responsible for coordinating, conducting, supervising and managing the APC’s internal electoral process.
Jengo questioned him about the court’s directive requiring the outstanding elections to be completed within 21 days, despite an injunction restraining certain former APC executive members.
Kamara acknowledged the directive but explained that the court was also aware of petitions pending before the relevant electoral authorities. He maintained that elections could not proceed in areas where disputes remained unresolved.
The cross-examination further examined whether Kamara had the authority to relocate an entire district’s delegate election to another district.
He answered in the affirmative, explaining that his responsibility to manage the electoral process included making arrangements for the relocation of delegate elections.
Jengo also questioned him about reports that electoral officials had arrived late at some polling stations because of the remoteness of certain communities, resulting in voting and counting continuing into the night.
Kamara acknowledged that such delays had occurred and that some petitions had arisen from affected areas. However, he clarified that not all petitions concerned late arrivals or the timing of voting.
He confirmed that the official voting period was from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., after which counting was expected to begin.
On delegate numbers, Kamara explained that the figures varied according to the number of constituencies in each district. Using Falaba as an example, he said the district had four constituencies, with Constituency 17 having 85 delegates. He contrasted this with Kono District, which has ten constituencies.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Sorie, Chairman of the Independent Election Complaints Board, informed the court that four district election petitions and three constituency petitions remained pending before the relevant complaints body.
Sorie explained that ten petitions had initially affected nine districts and that rulings had been delivered in those matters. However, four additional petitions relating to four districts remained outstanding, alongside three constituency petitions.
He told the court that hearings on the four district petitions were scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, and Thursday, October 29, 2026, with the aim of concluding all four matters within that period.
He added that efforts would also be made to resolve the three outstanding constituency petitions within the same timeframe. If that proved impossible, the hearings could be extended to Friday, October 30.
Sorie also raised concerns about alleged threats, intimidation and insulting messages directed at members of the board over decisions that reportedly displeased certain individuals.
He said the board had received cooperation from some members but had also faced challenges, including what he described as a growing pattern of violence and intimidation.
According to him, some board members had received threats of violence and insulting messages intended to influence or intimidate them when decisions did not favour particular individuals.
At the close of proceedings, Justice Adrian Fisher indicated that he would issue further orders in the coming days to expedite the APC’s internal electoral process.