The National Chairman of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Sir Jimmy Batilo Songa, is facing growing accusations from within and outside the party that his recent actions are destabilizing the SLPP as it prepares to choose a successor to President Julius Maada Bio.
The accusations come amid an escalating internal row over the party’s 2028 flagbearer race.
The latest flashpoint is a public exchange of letters between Chairman Songa and veteran politician Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally, a Grand Chief Patron and aspirant for the SLPP flagbearer position.
In a letter dated September 18, 2026, Hon.Tarawally strongly rejected allegations from the Chairman that he holds dual membership of the SLPP and the Citizens Democratic Party (CDP).
Hon. Musa Tarawally described the claim as “untruthful and misleading” and accused Songa of attempting to damage his reputation. He stated that he resigned from the CDP in 2018 before returning to the SLPP and attached a copy of his resignation letter as evidence.
Hon. Tarawally further challenged the Chairman’s authority to unilaterally terminate his membership, arguing that disciplinary action must go through the National Executive Council. He has instructed his legal team to examine remedies under the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act 2021 and for defamation.
Beyond the Tarawally case, party commentators and senior stakeholders have accused Chairman Songa of interfering in the flagbearer contest.
Speaking recently to a gathering of District Chairmen and Women’s Leaders,
Jimmy Batilo
Songa reportedly cautioned officials against taking sides with any aspirant and invoked the party constitution to argue that the responsibility for determining President Bio’s successor rests with the Party Leader, who is the outgoing President, a move some political analysts described as “defiling the sacredness of choosing Bio’s successor” and elevating the personal preference of the incumbent above the collective will of the membership.
Critics argue the statement has opened a “political Pandora’s box” and risks incarcerating the party in opposition if internal democracy is seen to be compromised.
The Chairman has also come under fire in recent months from civil society. A coalition of eight civil society organizations condemned remarks attributed to him calling on the military and security forces to help the SLPP secure victory in 2028, warning that such rhetoric politicizes the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces and threatens national stability.
Efforts to get an official response from the SLPP chairman on the destabilization allegations were unsuccessful at press time.
However, allies of the Chairman defend his actions as an attempt to enforce discipline and maintain unity. They argue that premature campaigning by flagbearer aspirants and questions over membership status must be addressed to ensure a credible process ahead of the 2028 general elections.