|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Claim: A viral list circulating on Facebook featured several top government officials of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) vying for the party’s “flagbearer position” in the forthcoming 2028 presidential election.
Verdict: False! The Sierra Leone’s People’s Party’s (SLPP) outgoing national Secretary General, Umaro Napoleon Koroma, Esq., told DUBAWA via phone that the viral list for SLPP flagbearer candidates is a fabricated notice by some unknown persons.
Full Text
A list purporting to be the “official list of Sierra Leone’s People’s Party (SLPP) members” vying for the party’s flagbearer race to lead the party as presidential candidate(s) in the country’s slated 2028 presidential poll has gone viral on social media, Facebook in particular, as seen here, here, and here.
In recent days, the purported list of flagbearer candidates, featuring the names of top government ministers, diplomats, and distinguished members of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), has sparked widespread speculation among party loyalists and ordinary citizens regarding its authenticity.
The viral list, bearing the SLPP’s official logo/symbol on both ends, left and right, features prominent names within the current President, Julius Maada Bio’s, administration.
Among the prominent top-ranking SLPP government officials who made the viral list were, but were not limited to, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, Sierra Leone’s current Chief Minister; the Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Musa Kabba; Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Vice President; the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Dr. Fatima Jabbie Maada Bio; and the Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala, Esq.
President Bio’s successor: Who will succeed him after 2028?
Speculation over who might succeed President Julius Maada Bio, whose second term is set to end in 2028, is gaining momentum among party loyalists and grassroots supporters. Political commentators and ordinary citizens have also deliberated on who will succeed H.E. Dr. Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio.
Political commentators, civil society advocates, and progressive citizens have since cautioned the party’s leadership and supporters to refrain from such speculation, warning that it could derail the government’s work and distort the party’s efforts towards peace and development.
Interestingly, the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party is currently preparing for its primaries to elect national, regional, and constituency officials. This has exacerbated the debate over the viral list.
Verification
Due to the top names featured on the viral list and the ongoing debate regarding its authenticity, DUBAWA decided to verify the list to set the record straight in the interest of the public.
SLPP Secretary General debunks the viral flagbearer candidates’ list
In the bid to fact-check the viral list purported to be the ‘official SLPP’s flagbearer candidates’ for Sierra Leone’s 2028 presidential bid, DUBAWA’s first point of contact was the party’s outgoing national Secretary General, who is charged with the mandate to author such a sensitive list on behalf of the party.
SLPP’s national outgoing Scribe — Lawyer Umaro Napoleon Koroma, via a telephone interview with DUBAWA, refuted the viral list, stating thus,
“SLPP has not opened nominations for persons interested in vying for the party’s flagbearer position for the 2028 presidential election.”
He added that the viral list is “unfounded and fake!”
“As the national Secretary General of the Sierra Leone People’s Party, I want to tell you that the particular list is categorically misleading. I have also come across the list you have contacted me for, and I want to let you know that the party is not the source of the said list.”
Asked when the party will open its official process to elect its flagbearer candidate as speculation of President Bio’s successor becomes a critical topic, Lawyer Koroma, calmly responded that the SLPP’s leadership hasn’t opened nominations for qualified members to contest for the standard bearer’s position, saying that the viral list is a false notice.
The party’s national secretary general strongly noted that if the viral notice were an authentic release from the Sierra Leone People’s Party’s leadership, the list would’ve been shared on his social media handles and discussed on traditional media, including radio, TV, and newspapers.
“Currently, the party is occupied with its primary elections to elect its national officers. After that, the new national executive body will consider a date to elect the flagbearer candidate for the 2028 presidential poll.
“However, that will not happen anytime soon, since the president is still the face of the party,” Lawyer Koroma told DUBAWA.
Efforts to obtain comments from some prominent individuals, including Chief Minister Dr. David M. Sengeh and Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala, Esq., who were featured on the viral list, were unsuccessful.
Conclusion
While it is not unusual for supporters, particularly Sierra Leoneans, to promote possible future candidates of their choice, the viral list making rounds on social media lacks authenticity, as indicated by the party’s outgoing national Secretary General.
