Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally has fired back at Sierra Leone People’s Party National Chairman, Jimmy Batilo Songa, rejecting a directive questioning his membership and insisting that no individual has the constitutional authority to unilaterally remove him from the ruling party.
Speaking in an audio recording currently trending on social media, Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally thanked SLPP grassroots supporters, delegates and other stakeholders for what he described as their love and genuine concern, saying he had received numerous telephone calls following Jimmy Batilo Songa’s directive.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally said he does not recognize the directive, describing it as lacking legitimacy and exceeding the constitutional functions of the National Chairman. He maintained that Jimmy Batilo Songa does not have the constitutional mandate to issue such an instruction against him and said he would not comply with it, adding that such directives may be intended for social media bloggers but not for him.
He stressed that neither Jimmy Batilo Songa nor President Dr. Julius Maada Bio could individually expel him or any other member from the SLPP. According to Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally, such action can only be taken through procedures established under the SLPP Constitution, involving the Disciplinary Committee and the National Executive Council, which he described as one of the party’s highest decision-making organs after the National Delegates Conference.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally maintained that whenever a party member is accused of wrongdoing, that person should appear before the Disciplinary Committee, which should conduct hearings before forwarding recommendations to the National Executive Council for a decision. He insisted that the rights of every member, including ordinary grassroots supporters, must be protected.
He cautioned Jimmy Batilo Songa that the SLPP is an institution that cannot be dictated to by one individual, particularly as the party moves towards transitional elections when, according to him, unity should be paramount. He argued that unlawfully removing even an ordinary grassroots member could damage the party, much more a major stakeholder.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally warned that Jimmy Batilo Songa risked becoming deeply unpopular within the party if his actions were considered harmful to its unity. Drawing lessons from previous SLPP leadership disputes, he referenced former party chairmen Reverend Paul Dunbar, Alhaji U.N.S. Jah and Chief Somanoh Kapen, arguing that political disagreements had affected their respective leadership tenures. He maintained that Jimmy Batilo Songa could equally be set aside if party members concluded that his leadership threatened the SLPP’s interests, stressing that the party is bigger than any individual.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally also recalled his personal relationship with Jimmy Batilo Songa, claiming that President Dr. Julius Maada Bio entrusted Jimmy Batilo Songa to his support during the 2018 presidential run-off election. He said he assisted Jimmy Batilo Songa with his activities and household responsibilities during that period. While maintaining that he respects Jimmy Batilo Songa as National Chairman, he said that respect should be reciprocal and warned that he would firmly defend his rights whenever he believed boundaries had been crossed.
Turning directly to President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally warned against attempts to intimidate him through political associates, insisting that he is not a low-profile political figure. He claimed that he played a significant role in bringing President Dr. Julius Maada Bio into active SLPP politics and facilitated opportunities for him to engage the late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and senior Government officials when such access was difficult.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally expressed disappointment that, despite those contributions, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio had not taken what he considered immediate and decisive action against Jimmy Batilo Songa. He argued that failure by the President, as SLPP Leader, to intervene would cause him to question whether there was a political grievance against him.
He further shifted attention to the socio-economic situation in Sierra Leone, claiming that citizens and SLPP supporters are struggling with food and accommodation and that families are facing serious hardship. He maintained that national attention should be concentrated on improving the lives of Sierra Leoneans rather than allowing political loyalists to humiliate individuals who contributed to the party’s rise.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally warned that such actions could have political consequences. He also claimed that his previous experience within the security sector and his extensive networks give him access to information about developments across the country.
He declared that he would not hesitate to pursue what he described as democratic political action aimed at protecting Sierra Leoneans and safeguarding the country’s political space. Referencing the defeat of Revolutionary United Front leader Foday Sankoh and former Armed Forces Revolutionary Council leader Johnny Paul Koroma, Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally argued that anyone considered an obstacle to the national interest could be collectively confronted through democratic political means.
The confrontation follows Jimmy Batilo Songa’s directive that Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally should stop presenting himself as an SLPP member, using the party’s logo and participating in party programmes amid questions surrounding his alleged affiliation with the Citizens Democratic Party.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally has strongly rejected that position, maintaining that he formally resigned from the Citizens Democratic Party in 2018 to return to the SLPP. He has produced a resignation letter dated 15 June 2018, addressed to the CDP Secretary General, which he says provides documentary evidence of his departure. He further maintains that since resigning, he has neither paid membership dues to the CDP nor attended its meetings or participated in its activities, insisting that his political activities have instead centred on the SLPP.
As further evidence of his claimed SLPP membership, Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally points to his participation as an accredited National Delegate at the party’s 2025 National Delegates Conference, where he says he voted. He questioned how he could have been accredited to participate and vote at the party’s highest gathering if he was not recognized as an SLPP member.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally also maintains that his SLPP membership dues are fully paid through 2028 and that he currently holds the position of Grand Chief Patron. He cited his longstanding financial and organizational contributions to the party, including support for campaign activities and the construction of SLPP offices across the country, as further evidence of his commitment to the party.
Beyond challenging the directive through internal party structures, Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally has indicated that he is prepared to pursue legal remedies over what he describes as damage to his reputation and political standing, saying his legal team has been instructed to examine the options available under Sierra Leonean law.
Concluding his message, Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally appealed to SLPP delegates, grassroots supporters and stakeholders to disregard Jimmy Batilo Songa’s directive, insisting that he would continue participating in party activities. He challenged Jimmy Batilo Songa to take the matter to court if dissatisfied with his continued participation.
Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally remains emphatic that he is a fully paid-up SLPP member, Grand Chief Patron, National Delegate and aspirant for the party’s flagbearer position, declaring that he would not be intimidated as the dispute over his political status continues.
