The parties of the two main contenders in Saturday’s presidential elections in Sierra Leone have both claimed victory, amid accusations and counter-accusations of plot to undermine the outcome.
The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the All People’s Congress (APC) both made their claims via statements released on Sunday. They both also based their claims on data collected from their respective agents at tally centers across the country.
“Early indications from our polling agents who have submitted the results in from their various locations point to the fact that there will be no run-off,” the SLPP said in its statement signed by its National Secretary General, Umaru Napoleon Koroma.
“The people have spoken and have done so by entrusting President Bio with the nation’s fate for a further five years,” it added.
“The people of Sierra Leone have spoken loudly, and the message is very clear in the results coming,” said APC in its statement signed by its Presidential candidate, Samura Kamara.
“I want to assure all our supporters and citizens of Sierra Leone that the APC is on an irreversible path to an overwhelming victory,” he added.
Both parties went on to accuse the other of seeking to undermine the process. The SLPP said APC’s statements through its press releases and press conferences convened by the opposition party’s leaders were meant to undermine a process they had refused to participate in.
For the APC, it has a bone to pick with the ECSL, which it says has failed to consider several concerns it highlighted with the goal of protecting the integrity of the process.
The elections on June 24 were conducted in a largely peaceful atmosphere, but reports in some parts of the country indicate chaotic scenes as supporters, particularly those of the APC, alleged attempts to engage in ballot stuffing. Several videos circulating on social media show angry APC supporters chasing people suspected of attempting to stuff ballots.
A top security official said on Sunday one person died earlier in the day due to injuries sustained from such mob action.
But an even bigger concern on voting day was the delay in the arrival of ballot materials. In some communities, many people could not vote as a result of this, according to reports.
Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Konneh, admitted the occurrences of delay but said that it affected only a small portion of polling centers nationwide. He also blamed the situation on rogue ECSL agents whom he said will face the law for their actions.
The Commission is yet to release any provisional result, one day after the end of voting. Mr Konneh said they did not have enough verified data to warrant releasing a provisional result. He however urged political parties to desist from announcing their own results, stressing that he is the only authorized person to do so.
“If in anyway you have access to the final results, refrain from announcing it to give your supporters false hope. I am the only mandated authority to announce the final figure and winner of the elections,” he told reporters at a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
SLPP National Chairman, Dr Prince Harding later in a press conference defended their rights as a party to announcement their victory even before the ECSL did so. He said that they were only stating the fact and that they did so with the knowledge that the ECSL has the mandate to do the final announcement.
“Opinions are free, but the fact is we have won this election. We are waiting for the ECSL to announce the result,” Dr Harding said in the presence of other top SLPP officials, including Information Minister Mohamed Rahman Swaray, who is the head of communication in the party’s campaign team and his deputy at the Information ministry, Solomon Jamiru.
“We have called you to give you the facts on the ground,” Harding stressed.
Meanwhile, it was celebratory mood at the headquarters of both parties on Sunday, until news of the outbreak of violence at the APC offices late in the day.
According to a series of tweets by Samura Kamara, himself and several party officials and some of their supporters were barricaded in the building after security forces allegedly descended them as he presided over a live press conference.
Witnesses say that security forces fired teargas to disperse the crowd that had gathered outside the party’s office.
But Kamara claimed that live bullets were shot at his office door, which he interpreted as an attempt on his life.
“They have tried it three times on our lives with my running mate,” he said in the last of three tweets on the incident.
The police is yet to issue any statement on the matter.
