Claim: A Facebook page, Abram Shaku, posted a video of President Julius Maada Bio, claiming that “no political party has ever won three consecutive elections in Sierra Leone.”
Verdict: Misleading! According to historic facts published by Sierra Leone Web, the University of Central Arkansas, and Aziza Nigeria, the All People’s Congress (APC) won three elections under ex-president Siaka Stevens in 1967, 1973, and 1977.
Full Text
Sierra Leone’s politics is fragile, and it has been spearheaded by two main political parties, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the All Peoples’ Congress (APC).
Although the APC is a breakaway party from the SLPP, both parties have shaped the country’s political dynamics since Sierra Leone gained independence on April 27, 1961.
Since the country returned to a democratic electoral system in the 1990s, the SLPP and the APC have led it for two terms.
Former President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who led the country from 1996 to 2007, was replaced by Ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma of the APC after a run-off election in 2007.
Ex-President Koroma won the election over the SLPP’s flagbearer, Solomon Berewa, in a highly competitive election despite the SLPP’s cries of irregularities.
After leading the country from 2007 to 2018, ex-president Koroma was succeeded by President Julius Maada Bio after a tightly contested run-off election against the APC’s flagbearer, Samura Wilson Kamara.
At the end of President Bio’s first term in 2022, he “narrowly and controversially” won the 2023 election, defeating his primary opponent, Samural Wilson Kamara.
Despite the APC’s dissatisfaction with overturning the election result, citing allegations of electoral irregularities, President Bio was sworn in as President.
However, Abram Shaku posted a video of President Bio, claiming that “no political party has ever won three consecutive elections in a row.”
In the video, President Bio can be heard saying, “We [SLPP] need a candidate that can lead us to a straight victory in 2028. No party has ever done it three times in a row; we will do it.”
The video was extracted from President Bio’s speech during the SLPP’s 14th National Delegate Conference.
The president’s similar claim has been found on different digital platforms, such as here, here, and here.
The statement has sparked public debate, buzzing social media platforms.
DUBAWA decided to fact-check it due to its mandate to amplify truth.
Verification
Firstly, DUBAWA reviewed the political history of Sierra Leone from 1961 to 2018 on different platforms like the U.S State Government, Parliament of Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone Web, and the University of Arkansas.
Although our investigation on the University of Arkansas website does not explicitly point out the three executive elections won by the All People’s Congress (APC), we found that the APC won the general elections in 1967 and two other polls in 1973 and 1977, respectively.
The Sierra Leone Web, a credible Sierra Leonean historic site, published that the APC won the 1967 and the 1973 elections respectively.
Although these elections were marked by allegations of electoral malpractices, irregularities, and violence, the APC won three consecutive elections in 1967, 1973, and 1977.
Notably, these elections had different political contexts in which they were held.
Below is a breakdown of how these elections were held:
- The 1967 Election: As published by Sierra Leone Web, the APC narrowly won the 1967 general elections based on a slight majority of seats in parliament over the SLPP. In a tightly contested election, Siaka Stevens was sworn in as the country’s Prime Minister on 21 March 1967. Hours after he was sworn in, he was ousted by a military coup led by Brigadier General David Lansana. In 1968, Stevens assumed his position again. At the time, elections were based on a legislative system.
- The 1973 Election: Under Siaka Stevens, the APC won the 1973 election, despite being marked by a wild burst of controversy with their main opposition. The SLPP boycotted the election, claiming ongoing electoral malpractice favouring the APC. Steven’s APC won the election unopposed.
- The 1977 Election: After Sierra Leone became a republican state under Siaka Stevens on April 19, 1971, an election was held in 1977, which the APC won. However, the 1977 election was characterised by electoral irregularities and violence, giving the APC an edge over the SLPP.
Conclusion
Our historic findings on Sierra Leone’s politics prove President Bio’s statement is misleading. The APC had won three consecutive elections, although these elections were held in different political contexts.