By: Saidu Jalloh
Former Secretary-General of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie, has warned that the party’s constitution will disqualify most individuals rumoured to be eyeing the presidential flag bearer position ahead of the party’s next national convention.
Amid heightened tensions within the leadership of the ruling party, Tejan-Sie who also serves as a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) issued series of clarifications on the NEC’s authority and the constitutional requirements governing eligibility for presidential aspirants.
During an interview at Liberty online TV on Tuesday 9th December 2025, Tejan-Sie explained that the SLPP constitution empowers NEC to dissolve the current executive committee, if necessary, and convene an emergency national delegates’ conference to elect new executive members. His remarks follow widening internal disagreements over the party’s direction and the procedures shaping its transition toward the 2028 elections.
Speaking on the growing list of rumoured aspirants, Tejan-Sie argued that several of the individuals being mentioned do not meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the party constitution, he stressed that many of the persons currently in public conversations are “not qualified” under the existing SLPP constitution.
According to Tejan-Sie, the SLPP constitution requires aspirants for the flag bearer position to fall under specific membership categories.
Article 12 (8b) states that an aspirant must be a member of the party under the category of Distinguished Grand Chief Patron before qualifying for nomination as a presidential candidate.
Article 17 (6d) further stipulates that any member seeking the flag bearer position must have been a fully paid-up member within the Distinguished Chief Grand Patron category for at least five years.
Tejan-Sie also addressed claims circulating on social media suggesting that, in political parties worldwide, the secretary-general holds more authority than the chairman. He dismissed such assertions, stating that they contradict the SLPP’s constitution and established governance structure.
The comments have added new dimensions to the ongoing internal debate within the party, which continues to face intensifying scrutiny over its internal democratic processes and preparations ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Article 16(c), which deals with party elections, states that for any person to qualify to contest or be nominated for the presidential election, they must be a member of the party under the category of Distinguished Grand Chief Patron.
Article 2(3)(b) further outlines the individuals who fall within this category, including:
National Party Leader, National Deputy Party Leader, National Party Chairman, National Deputy Chairman, National Secretary General, Former National Party Leaders, Former National Deputy Party Leaders, Former National Chairmen, Former Deputy National Chairmen, Former Secretaries General, Former Heads of State President, Former Vice Presidents, Former Presidential Nominees, and Former Vice Presidential Nominees.