All People’s Congress (APC) Flagbearer Aspirant Dr. Ibrahim Bangura has called for a fair and impartial determination of the constitutional issues surrounding Sierra Leone’s Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025, saying the matter has implications not only for the present generation but also for generations to come.
Dr. Ibrahim Bangura made the remarks on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, as the Supreme Court commenced proceedings concerning challenges to the parliamentary passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
He described the matter as highly important, stressing that the constitutional questions before the Court should not be viewed merely through the lens of current political circumstances or electoral considerations.
According to him, constitutional amendment is a matter of national importance that must be approached with the long-term interests of Sierra Leone and its citizens in mind.
“The Constitution Amendment Bill matter is an issue that should be addressed not just for this generation but for the next,” Dr. Ibrahim Bangura said.
He argued that a constitution should be developed and amended primarily in the interest of the country and its people, rather than to serve the convenience of a particular election or political moment.
“A constitution is developed in the best interest of the country and its people,” he said, adding that constitutional provisions should be designed in a manner that allows both present and future generations to benefit from them.
Dr. Ibrahim Bangura further described the Constitution as a fundamental instrument for protecting the rights and dignity of citizens, and expressed hope that the Supreme Court proceedings would be conducted fairly.
“A constitution is the principal promoter of the rights and dignity of all citizens in a country,” he said.
He therefore appealed for an outcome that citizens across the country could accept as serving the national interest.
“I pray and hope that the Supreme Court hearing on the matter will be as fair as possible and there will be an outcome every citizen will be proud of and that will serve the best interest of the country,” Dr. Ibrahim Bangura said.
Dr. Ibrahim Bangura’s comments come as the Supreme Court considers a cluster of cases arising from Parliament’s handling and passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
The proceedings are before a five-member panel headed by Chief Justice Komba Kamanda. Three related matters, S.C. No. 8/2026, S.C. No. 9/2026 and S.C. No. 11/2026, are before the Court.
The cases relate to the parliamentary process surrounding the Bill and the Speaker’s ruling of 10 August 2026, which became a central point of the subsequent legal challenge.
The immediate proceedings have included preliminary and procedural applications. On Wednesday, the Court dismissed an objection to an application seeking to consolidate the related cases, allowing the consolidation application to proceed.
The Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ) has also been granted permission to participate in the proceedings as amicus curiae, or “friend of the court.” The organisation said its participation is intended to assist the Court with independent legal analysis rather than support either the APC or the Sierra Leone People’s Party.
At the centre of the constitutional controversy is Section 108(2)(b) of the 1991 Constitution, which provides that a Bill seeking to alter the Constitution must receive, at its second and third readings, the votes of not less than two-thirds of the Members of Parliament.
The dispute includes questions over the meaning and application of the phrase “two-thirds of the Members of Parliament”, including whether the constitutional threshold should be calculated against the entire membership of Parliament or members present and voting at the relevant sitting.
The controversy intensified after Parliament passed the Bill on 10 August 2026. Reports indicate that the Speaker had ruled on the interpretation of the parliamentary voting procedure before the Bill was passed. President Julius Maada Bio subsequently withheld assent and referred the constitutional questions to the Supreme Court following a petition from the Institute for Governance Reform.
The APC has challenged the parliamentary process, arguing that the constitutional requirement for a two-thirds majority was not satisfied. The party’s position followed the withdrawal of its MPs during the parliamentary proceedings.
However, these competing interpretations are now before the Supreme Court for determination.
For Dr. Ibrahim Bangura, the significance of the matter extends beyond the immediate disagreement between political parties.
His remarks place emphasis on the broader constitutional principle that amendments to the country’s supreme law should be considered from the perspective of national institutions, citizens’ rights and future generations.
His comments also come at a time when the Supreme Court has yet to make a substantive determination on whether Parliament complied with the constitutional requirements for passing the Amendment Bill.
The Court has so far been dealing with procedural matters surrounding the cases, including the participation of the Attorney-General and ILRAJ and the proposed consolidation of the related proceedings.
The substantive questions including whether the constitutional two-thirds requirement was satisfied, whether the parliamentary procedure complied with Section 108 and whether the Bill was validly passed remain for judicial determination.
Dr. Ibrahim Bangura’s appeal for fairness therefore comes against the backdrop of a constitutional dispute that could establish an important judicial precedent on how Sierra Leone’s Constitution may be amended in the future.
For now, the final determination rests with the Supreme Court, as the country awaits judicial clarity on the constitutional questions surrounding the 2025 Amendment Bill.
