The debate over the Sierra Leone People’s Party’s leadership succession has intensified following conflicting statements from senior officials about who has the authority to select the party’s next presidential flagbearer.
SLPP National Secretary General, Umar Paran Tarawally has rejected remarks attributed to National Chairman, Sir Jimmy Batilo Songa suggesting that President Dr. Julius Maada Bio would determine the party’s next flagbearer.
Sir Jimmy Batilo Songa reportedly told a gathering of party officials that the SLPP leader would come with “a name” and members should follow the leader’s political direction. Some party members interpreted the statement as indicating that President Bio, who serves as the SLPP’s National Leader, would personally choose his successor.
Speaking on AYV’s State of the Nation programme on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Umar Paran Tarawally said the chairman’s comments did not represent an official decision of the party.
“What Batilo said is his own opinion and does not represent the party,” Umar Paran Tarawally stated. “As Secretary General, all I know is that we have not taken that decision. He was very wrong to say so.”
Umar Paran Tarawally maintained that President Bio would not instruct party officials that he alone should determine the party’s next presidential candidate.
“President Bio will never communicate such a message to anybody. Jimmy Batilo knew exactly what the President said,” he added.
According to the Secretary General, President Bio has consistently maintained that SLPP delegates should decide who succeeds him as flagbearer. He defended the President’s democratic record, arguing that Bio had demonstrated respect for internal party democracy and national democratic institutions.
Umar Paran Tarawally disclosed that the SLPP expects to convene its delegates between March and April 2027 to decide who will lead the party into the next presidential election.
“Anytime between March and April next year, we will definitely convene the entire party delegates and decide on who takes over,” he said.
The controversy has also drawn criticism from SLPP National Trustee for the Eastern Region, Dr. James Vibbi, who accused Jimmy Batilo Songa of playing political “mind games” with party members.
Speaking on Truth FM 103.9’s Morning Devotion programme on August 26, 2026, Dr. James Vibbi argued that Jimmy Batilo Songa’s remarks appeared designed to create the impression that President Bio had already identified a preferred successor.
Dr. James Vibbi said the party could pursue consensus among stakeholders and prospective candidates. However, he maintained that if no consensus were reached, the flagbearer should be selected through a free and transparent election conducted in accordance with the SLPP Constitution.
He described President Bio as a cautious leader who does not make important political decisions hastily. Referring to the SLPP’s previous national chairmanship election, Dr. James Vibbi argued that the President did not impose a preferred candidate on party members.
He claimed that if President Bio had openly backed and imposed a particular candidate during that contest, Jimmy Batilo Songa might not have emerged as National Chairman.
Dr. James Vibbi alleged that the chairman was invoking the influence of the President to persuade party members to wait for a decision that might ultimately serve particular political interests.
“Jimmy Batilo Songa’s statement and actions are un-chairmanlike,” Dr. James Vibbi said. “I might write to the Secretary General, for the attention of the party leader, regarding the chairman’s actions and statements.”
He stressed that the National Chairman should remain neutral because several aspirants, movements and ideological groupings are expected to compete for influence during the succession process.
According to Dr. James Vibbi, the chairman should promote peace, reconciliation, harmony and cohesion rather than appear to favour a particular candidate or political bloc.
He also questioned the constitutional status of the gathering at which Jimmy Batilo Songa reportedly made his remarks, describing it as a constituency-level grouping that was not properly recognized under the party’s Constitution.
Dr. James Vibbi insisted that his criticism is not motivated by personal rivalry or ideological disagreement. He said his principal concern is protecting the SLPP Constitution and ensuring that the flagbearer-selection process remains credible, fair and transparent.
Meanwhile, SLPP National Public Relations Officer, Moses Mambu, has attracted public attention after reportedly referring repeatedly to the party winning the “2028 or 2030 elections” during an appearance on Liberty Online TV.
The reference to 2030 has generated questions because Sierra Leone’s next presidential and parliamentary elections are generally expected in 2028. Coming amid debate over proposed constitutional changes and discussion about a possible seven-year presidential term, the remark has fueled speculation among Government critics about a potential “More Time” agenda.
However, no evidence has been presented showing that the Government or SLPP has formally adopted a plan to postpone the elections until 2030. The controversy has nevertheless prompted demands for Moses Mambu and the wider party leadership to clarify whether the reference was simply a verbal error.
Moses Mambu had earlier explained that Jimmy Batilo Songa’s remarks concerned the chairman’s loyalty and that of the party to the political direction of President Bio as National Leader. He cited Article 6(c), subsection 1(a) of the SLPP’s August 2020 Constitution.
Salone Political Watch has also joined the debate, arguing that the SLPP belongs to its members and supporters rather than one individual, movement, faction or interest group.
The organisation welcomed Umar Paran Tarawally’s assurance that delegates would choose the flagbearer but demanded clarification of the official constitutional procedure, who is authorized to communicate the party’s position and whether every prospective candidate will receive a level playing field.
It further urged the SLPP leadership to issue a collective statement to prevent conflicting interpretations from causing divisions among grassroots supporters, constitutional chairmen, stakeholders and potential aspirants.
The controversy now extends beyond the disagreement between Jimmy Batilo Songa and Umar Paran Tarawally. It raises broader questions about internal democracy, leadership neutrality and the credibility of the process that will produce the SLPP’s next presidential candidate.
With the proposed delegates’ gathering expected between March and April 2027, party members and the public will be watching for a process guided by the SLPP Constitution, equal treatment of aspirants and a clear answer concerning whether the next national elections will be held in 2028 or at another date.
The party also faces growing pressure to provide an unambiguous explanation of Moses Mambu’s “2028 or 2030” remark and reassure the public about its commitment to Sierra Leone’s established electoral timetable.
With preparations for the succession contest gaining momentum, the exchanges have exposed differences among senior SLPP officials over how the party’s next flagbearer should emerge. Party members are now awaiting an authoritative clarification that could settle the controversy and reassure potential aspirants that the process will follow the SLPP Constitution.
