Political Tensions within Sierra Leone’s main opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC), have deepened as reports emerge that Dr. Samura Kamara, the party’s 2018 and 2023 presidential candidate, has gone into hiding from the party’s leadership. The development comes at a critical moment, with the APC preparing for its national delegates conference and the election of a new flagbearer for the 2028 presidential race.
Party insiders told The Informant Newspaper that the APC leadership has been calling for mediation and dialogue to ease internal divisions, but Dr. Kamara’s absence has raised questions about his willingness to engage in reconciliation efforts. His silence is seen by some as a protest against what he perceives as unfair treatment within the party hierarchy, while others interpret it as a tactical retreat ahead of the high-stakes flagbearer contest.
The APC leadership has publicly emphasized the need for unity, warning that unresolved disputes could weaken the party’s chances in 2028. “We cannot afford to go into the next election divided,” one senior official noted, stressing that mediation is the only path to restoring cohesion. However, critics argue that the leadership’s calls for dialogue ring hollow, given the deep mistrust and factionalism that have plagued the party since its last electoral defeat.
Political observers noted that Dr. Kamara’s decision to distance himself from the leadership underscores the fragile state of the APC as it heads into a decisive conference. The outcome of the flagbearer elections will not only determine the party’s standard-bearer but also signal whether the APC can overcome its internal fractures and present a united front against the ruling party in 2028.
For now, the APC finds itself at a crossroads: either it succeeds in bringing Dr. Kamara and other dissenting voices back into the fold through genuine dialogue or it risks entering the next electoral cycle weakened by division and mistrust.