By Amin Kef Sesay
From unfolding trends it has indeed dawned that the All People’s Congress (APC) Party’s stride to conduct party conventions that will finally culminate into holding its National Delegates Conference is currently hanging on a balance. This is simply because the Court Case between the National Reformation Movement (NRM) and the APC is still in progress and has not been withdrawn.
Meanwhile, in a Notice issued by the All People’s Congress (APC) Party dated 25th January 2021 and signed by its National Secretary General, Amb. Dr. Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh, it was stated that pursuant to Article 6.10.11.1 of the 5th December 1995 APC Constitution, and pursuant to the Notice by the National Advisory Committee (NAC) dated 14th January 2021 in which Conventions and National Delegates Conference of the APC were rescheduled to hold within the next six months (180 days), the Party now announces dates for the adoption of the Party’s Draft Constitution and the indicative dates for the conduct of the Party Conventions and National Delegates Conference including the Election of the Party’s Presidential Candidate for 2023 as follows:-
- 24th – 25th February 2021: “Emergency Delegates Conference for the Adoption of the Draft Constitution. Copies of the draft constitution will be made available to leaders of all structures and organs of the party,
- 8th – 14th April 2021: Constituency Conventions;
- 19th – 23th April 2021: District Conventions,
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28th – 30th April 2021: Regional Conventions excluding Diaspora
Region; - 7th – 9th May 2021: Diaspora Chapter Conventions:
- 11th – 12th May 2021: Diaspora Branch Conventions
- 15th May 2021: Diaspora Regional Convention;
- 16th May 2021: Women’s Congress Convention;
- 17th May 2021: National Youth League Convention;
10.18th May 2021: Veterans Convention;
- 28th – 29th May 2021: National Delegates Conference for the elections of National officers and Presidential Candidate 2023;
It concluded that by this Notice, the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) has been accordingly informed adding that the above notice above is not reflective of what happened in Court.
Contingent to whether the aforementioned will come to pass or achieved as outlined or scheduled, a Legal Representative of the party, Wara Serry Kamal, made a clarification of what really transpired in Court in the case between the NRM and APC.
Wara Serry Kamal said as a Lawyer of defendants (Ernest Bai Koroma, Foday Yansaneh, and the APC party ) she pleaded with the Judge to adjourn the matter for another month to give them the opportunity to complete the out of court settlement.
She indicated to the Court that the parties in fact had signed an MOU (2 of the Plaintiffs) and had even taken a further step to sign a Consent Agreement but for one hold out, who refused, the 3rd Plaintiff.
The Lawyer also indicated that they had all met (including Counsels) and that 2 of the 3 plaintiffs were not averse to the month long adjournment to enable the parties to further discuss and hopefully sign whatever agreements they can come to and further pleaded with the court to allow them to complete that process.
According to her, Lawyer Gevoa, representing the NRM, indicated that he had not received any clear instructions from his clients (the 3 plaintiffs) to adjourn but only the 1st plaintiff, Minkailu Koroma, who had sent him a text to adjourn and not proceed but the others had not indicated he should adjourn.
She continued that Gevoa indicated to the Court that he was ready to proceed with the substantive application at that point in time.
Lawyer Wara said Gevoa asked the Court, since the two were in Court, to speak to them directly to confirm but the court refused and instead asked the 2 present plaintiff (Abdul Karim Kafoi and Bumneh Sulaymani Kamara) if Gevoa still represents them, and they answered yes.
She said the Court raised concerns saying it had given the parties a longish adjournment to make headway but given the late notice which Lawyer Serry Kamal and Gevoa confirmed was only sent later, he would grant a final adjournment on February 22nd, 2021 at which time the parties will move their respective applications and the court will rule.
According to her the Judge warned that at the next sitting the Plaintiffs will move the Originating Motion against the Defendants and the Defendants will be required to respond and move their response to the court who will then adjourn the matter for a ruling on the merits. Based on her clarification she said the Judge continued that there is a lot of public outcry on the issue. The case was adjourned to the 22nd February, 2021.
