October 19, 2021
By: Albert Baron Ansu
Ahead of the election for the western area regional chairmanship in the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party, incumbent chairman Hon Manso Abu Dumbuya has insisted that Brima Keita, one of the aspirants for said election lacks the locus standi to run.
“I am not saying this because fear of anyone in the race, but it is simply a moral issue to challenge Brima Keita because records shows that he is not qualified to run,” Manso Dumbuya stated.
He added that because record shows that Brima Keita was since 7th February 2019 a member of the National Grand Coalition, there is discrepancy that he was a paid up member of the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party.
Records show that Brima Keita had been paying dues to the Sierra Leone Peoples Party since 2017 to date which raises possibility of discrepancy.
In his 7th September resignation letter Brima Keita wrote in part”… I want to officially tender my resignation effective immediately from the NGC party.”
Also, Manso Dumbuya has provided a publication that indicates that Brima Keita had resigned from the SLPP. Social Media Blogger writing under Yagba Dem Media in 2017 published; First Lady I J Kabbah and Western Area Strongman Brima Keita to Join the NGC.
Excerpt of that story reads; The NGC is proud to inform its members that the former first lady and SLPP Women’s Leader will resign from the SLPP tomorrow and Join the NGC. Also, Mr. Brima Keita, former Western Area Chairman made known hid intent to resign from the SLPP to register with the SLPP. The two political heavy weights will hold a press conference tomorrow, Thursday November 9 22017 at SLAJ office on Campbell street…”
Chairman Manso A Dumbuya has now questioned: “How could this be possible for you to be in a different party at some point and yet be paying dues in another party?
He argues based on the SLPP party constitution that if Brima Keita has decided to come back it has to be in a letter of re-admission and should maintain an ordinary member status for three years before qualifying to run for a regional office.
Article 2 © of the SLPP Constitution makes it explicit: “any member, who resigns his or her membership of the party but decides to apply for readmission into the party, can only be admitted as ordinary member of the party and his or her eligibility for any position within the party shall be determined by the National Secretariat…”
According Chairman Manso Dumbuya Brima Keita must show proof of conformance to the cited provision before considering to run.
He added that because an unresolved controversy about Brima Keita’patron status, he cannot be eligible to run in the pending election.
The Manso A Dumbuya is therefore poised to formally present a petition on the day of nomination to the effect of barring Brima Keita from running.
In reacting to the allegations, Brima Keita said he is legitimately qualified to contest fort the Western Area chairmanship because of the new law that was enacted by the party on the 11 August, 2020. He noted that when he returned to the party he was asked to pay all his backlogs, which he has already done.
He also mentioned the return of other personalities that have left the party but had to return to the party after President Bio was elected as president of the republic of Sierra Leone.
“The President and the secretary general of the party are people that are better placed to discuss about membership issues and not a fellow contender,” he explained.
Therefore, Mr. Keita concluded that no one has the right to disqualify him because the newly enacted law is not retroactive, as according to him he holds a chief patron membership in the SLPP and his is well prepared to face the upcoming election.