By Samuel Wise Bangura
A growing internal debate within the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has focused attention on the party’s 2022 Constitution, with critics arguing that key provisions restrict participation in leadership contests and concentrate power within a narrow elite.
At the centre of the controversy is Article 6(2)(b) of the SLPP Constitution, which states that the party’s Leader and Presidential Candidate must be a “Distinguished Grand Chief Patron Member” and must be elected by a National Delegates’ Conference. The clause effectively limits eligibility for the party’s highest office to a small category of senior members who hold that status.
Political analysts and party insiders say the provision creates a two-tier membership structure, reserving the possibility of becoming party leader and presidential flagbearer for a select group, while excluding a wider pool of experienced and ambitious members. As currently framed, the constitution renders many long-serving party figures ineligible to contest the leadership, regardless of their grassroots support or political record.
The origins of the clause are widely traced to internal tensions that followed the party’s 2018 flagbearer contest, which was intensely competitive and divisive. That process ultimately produced Julius Maada Bio as flagbearer and later President, but left visible fractures within the party. In response, the 2022 Constitution merged the positions of Party Leader and Presidential Candidate, a move that ensured continuity of leadership and avoided another open contest ahead of the 2023 elections.
Supporters of the arrangement argue that it promoted unity and stability at a critical political moment. However, critics contend that the same mechanism now poses challenges for succession planning beyond the tenure of the current leader, as it leaves future leadership choices in the hands of a limited group.
Following the 2023 elections, expectations grew that the party would revisit the restrictive provisions. President Bio, in his capacity as party leader, appointed a Constitutional Review Committee chaired by David Moinina Sengeh. The committee was reportedly tasked with reviewing aspects of the constitution, including eligibility criteria for party leadership.
That process, however, has yet to produce a publicly available outcome. Conflicting accounts have emerged within party circles, with some suggesting that the committee’s work was rejected by the National Executive Council (NEC), while others maintain that no final report was formally submitted before the committee’s tenure expired. The absence of clarity has left many members uncertain about whether and how reforms will be pursued.
Attention has therefore turned to Article 8(4) of the constitution, which empowers the NEC to propose amendments for endorsement by the National Delegates’ Conference. While this provision provides a procedural route for change, critics argue that it places significant discretion in the hands of the party’s top leadership, raising concerns about transparency and inclusiveness.
The debate has broader implications for party mobilisation and cohesion. Some observers warn that prolonged uncertainty could discourage emerging leaders and dampen enthusiasm among grassroots supporters who feel excluded from meaningful participation in leadership selection. Others caution that failure to address the issue could fuel internal tensions ahead of future electoral cycles.
Within the SLPP, opinions remain divided. Senior figures emphasise the need for orderly transitions and protection against destabilising internal contests, while reform-minded members argue that genuine internal democracy strengthens, rather than weakens, party unity and public credibility.
As the party looks toward the 2028 political horizon, the unresolved questions surrounding constitutional reform and leadership eligibility continue to loom large. Whether the NEC and the National Delegates’ Conference will move to broaden participation or maintain the existing framework is likely to shape not only the party’s internal dynamics, but also perceptions of its commitment to democratic principles it promotes nationally.
