Tensions surrounding the membership status of Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally have prompted veteran journalist and Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) figure, Sorie Fofana, to appeal for restraint, dialogue and unity within the ruling party.
The controversy intensified after SLPP National Chairman Jimmy Batilo Songa directed Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally to stop presenting himself as a member of the party or an aspirant for its flagbearership. The directive followed correspondence from the Citizens Democratic Party (CDP), whose National Secretary General stated that Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally remained a member of the CDP.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally has rejected that position. He maintains that he formally resigned from the CDP in 2018 and subsequently returned to the SLPP, where he says he is a registered and fully paid-up Grand Chief Patron and National Delegate. His lawyers have since demanded the withdrawal of the SLPP Chairman’s letter and challenged the manner in which the membership dispute has been handled.
Against the backdrop of the escalating disagreement, Sorie Fofana, Managing Editor of the Global Times Newspaper, has called for a less confrontational approach to resolving internal party differences.
Speaking during an interview on Ecko Media, Sorie Fofana described the situation as troubling, arguing that the SLPP should concentrate on strengthening internal cohesion rather than allowing disagreements to develop into prolonged public confrontations.
He disclosed that he had communicated some of his concerns to SLPP Leader and President Dr. Julius Maada Bio and had also met with National Chairman Jimmy Batilo Songa to discuss ways of addressing misunderstandings within the party peacefully.
Sorie Fofana urged SLPP members and supporters to exercise caution when discussing the dispute surrounding Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally’s membership, stressing the importance of dialogue and established party processes in addressing disagreements.
He also referred to the longstanding relationship between President Julius Maada Bio and Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally, saying their political and personal association should encourage efforts to resolve the matter without further escalation.
While calling for restraint from the party leadership, Fofana was also critical of Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally’s response to the controversy. He argued that alternative channels were available through which the former Minister could have challenged the party leadership’s position instead of allowing the disagreement to develop into an open confrontation.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally has publicly disputed the SLPP leadership’s position and maintains that he has not belonged to the CDP since 2018. His lawyers have also threatened legal and regulatory action unless the disputed statements concerning his membership are withdrawn.
Sorie Fofana described some of Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally’s remarks concerning President Julius Maada Bio as “indecorous and unacceptable” and called on him to apologize to the President. He further urged Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally to take whatever administrative steps may be necessary to clarify and regularize his membership status.
The veteran journalist said his principal concern was preserving the peace and cohesion of the SLPP, adding that he would support initiatives aimed at strengthening unity while opposing actions capable of deepening divisions.
Drawing lessons from the party’s political history, Sorie Fofana urged the leadership and membership to reflect on the circumstances surrounding the SLPP’s loss of power in the 2007 elections and avoid internal divisions that could undermine the party.
He described President Julius Maada Bio as magnanimous and urged all sides to pursue reconciliation and constructive engagement rather than prolonged public exchanges.
With political attention increasingly turning towards the 2028 elections, Fofana maintained that the SLPP should focus on strengthening its internal structures, resolving disputes through appropriate channels and preserving unity among its membership.
