By Foday Moriba Conteh
The All People’s Congress (All People’s Congress) has expressed deep concern over what it describes as the slow and selective implementation of the Agreement for National Unity and the Tripartite Committee Recommendations (TCRs), warning that continued delays could trigger nationwide democratic action.
The concerns were raised during a massive grassroots meeting held at the Attouga Mini Stadium in Freetown on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Addressing party members, supporters and flagbearer aspirants, the APC’s Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Alhaji Dr. Osman Foday Yansaneh, delivered a detailed update on the status of the agreement, nearly eighteen months after the TCRs were formally submitted.
Alhaji Yansaneh told the gathering that progress on implementing the recommendations has been “limited and far below expectations,” despite the APC’s continued commitment to patience, dialogue and democratic engagement. He commended party supporters for their restraint and reiterated the APC’s resolve to pursue reforms aimed at strengthening Sierra Leone’s electoral system and democratic governance.
He acknowledged the role of development partners and international supporters, noting that their technical and financial assistance, particularly in voter registration, election result management and institutional capacity-building for the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL), remains vital to national dialogue and the credibility of future elections.
According to the Acting Chairman, some modest gains have been recorded. Those include the gazetting of a Constitutional Amendment Bill containing selected electoral reforms, a management review of the ECSL, the release of some detainees, the return of a limited number of displaced persons and the discontinuation of certain politically motivated cases. However, he stressed that those steps fall short of the comprehensive reforms envisaged under the Tripartite framework.
Of particular concern, Alhaji Yansaneh said, is the reported disappearance of appeal case files involving APC members at the Commission of Inquiry Secretariat. He warned that the missing files undermine access to justice, obstruct effective legal representation and erode public confidence in accountability processes.
The APC Acting Chairman sharply criticized what he described as the Government’s unilateral approach to reforms, arguing that it violates the agreed Tripartite Roadmap. He characterized the Steering Committee and Support Secretariat as “dysfunctional and lacking inclusiveness,” adding that engagement with the Government’s Chief Negotiator has effectively broken down due to persistent non-responsiveness.
He also objected to several recent Government actions, including Parliament’s refusal to establish a dedicated electoral committee, the failure of the ECSL to reconstitute the Political Parties Liaison Committee and provisions in the Constitutional Amendment Bill that grant the President appointment powers which, he said, contradict the spirit and letter of the TCRs. In that regard, he cited the role of the Parliament of Sierra Leone as critical to restoring confidence in the reform process.
Alhaji Yansaneh further condemned the postponement of the 2025 Population and Housing Census and questioned the continued reliance on the disputed 2021 Census, warning that flawed demographic data could compromise electoral planning and national development.
The APC also rejected proposals to introduce a Proportional Representation electoral system and to alter the presidential winning threshold. The party warned that such changes, if pursued without broad consensus, could deepen political divisions and destabilize the electoral environment.
In concluding his address, the Acting National Chairman called for the immediate restructuring of reform bodies, full transparency in the implementation of the National Unity Agreement and urgent intervention by development partners to safeguard the process. He cautioned that if the Government continues what the APC perceives as unilateralism and intimidation, the party would mobilize peaceful, lawful and democratic actions across the country to defend democracy and uphold the will of the people.
