By Audrey Raymonda John
The election petition case against Alfred Sovula Gbandoma regarding his chieftaincy election came up again on Thursday, April 3, 2025, before Justice Alfred Tommy Ganda at the Freetown High Court, Guma Building. During the session, the Provincial Secretary at the Ministry of Local Government, Abubakarr Kamara, testified in response to questions posed by the appellant’s lawyer, B.J. Ruffle, concerning the conduct of chieftaincy elections.
Alfred Sovula Gbandoma was taken to court by petitioner Sakpa Jibao Gbekpa, who is challenging the legitimacy of Gbandoma’s election. The case arises from a civil matter under Section 13 of the Chieftaincy Act of 2009. Gbekpa filed the petition against the results of the election, naming the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone as the first respondent, the Provincial Secretary’s office in Bo as the second respondent, and Alfred Sovula Gbandoma as the third respondent. An injunction was placed by the court, preventing any activities from taking place in the chiefdom until the matter is fully heard and decided by the High Court.
Testifying in court, Abubakarr Kamara stated that he is a civil servant working at the Ministry of Local Government as the provincial secretary for the Southern Region, based in Bo. He explained that he was present in court due to a subpoena served to him on March 24, 2025.
Kamara confirmed that a declaration of rights process was held at the Bumbeh District Chiefdom, and he was present at the event. As the declaration officer for elections held in the chiefdom, he outlined his role in the process, which included filing a report jointly compiled with the councilor and tribal authorities after all declarations were made. Kamara identified Exhibit C10 as the declaration report he submitted.
Answering further questions, Kamara affirmed his familiarity with the provisions of the Chieftaincy Act, noting that there are strict rules that must be followed during the declaration process. He explained that the law requires every candidate to be able to clearly present their case to the councilor, tribal authorities, section chief, and the provincial secretary.
Kamara recalled that during the declaration ceremony, one of the contestants, Alfred Sovula Gbandoma, faced objections from Madam Irini Labor. Madam Labor claimed that Gbandoma was not eligible to contest because his grandfather was never a paramount chief of Bumbeh District. Labor also asserted that the Gbandoma ruling house did not exist. Kamara confirmed that these objections were noted and addressed during the declaration process, which was video recorded and publicly shared on social media.
Kamara further explained that under the rules of the declaration process, no one could interrupt a candidate while they were speaking. He confirmed that any objections raised during the declaration process were put to a vote, as stipulated in Section 13(3) of the Chieftaincy Act. He also confirmed that objections regarding a candidate’s lineage could be raised during this process.
To verify the claims made by Madam Labor, Kamara called upon Ansu Gbandoma to confirm whether the Gbandoma family hailed from a ruling house. Ansu provided a receipt dated 2002, which Kamara said confirmed their grandfather, Joe Lansana Gbandoma, was a paramount chief. However, Kamara noted that other supporting documents were lost in a fire that destroyed the building where they were stored. He emphasized that only the 2002 receipt was available.
The court raised concerns about the authenticity of the receipt, with the judge suggesting that such documents could be found in archives if the building was burned down. Kamara admitted that the report he submitted was titled “Joint Report for the Declaration of Rights” and dated August 7, 2024, despite the declaration event occurring on September 7, 2024. He acknowledged the discrepancy, explaining that it was a mistake and that the report was prepared after the declaration process.
Kamara also confirmed that after the declaration process, a list of candidates was published three times in accordance with the rules.
After being questioned by the appellant’s lawyer, B.J. Ruffle, Kamara was cross-examined by lawyer E. Sarkoh, representing the second respondent. Kamara clarified that the only objection raised against Alfred Sovula Gbandoma during the declaration process was the claim that the Gbandoma ruling house did not exist and that his great-grandfather was never a chief.
Kamara was further questioned by lawyer B.T. Cummings, representing the first respondent, the Electoral Commission, regarding the publication of the candidates’ list after the declaration process. Kamara confirmed that the list was indeed published for public viewing.
The case was adjourned to May 7, 2025, for continuation.