Opposition APC elected politicians return to parliament and councils after boycott

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 22 April 2026:

After almost two months political standoff between the government of Sierra Leone and the country’s main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party, it seems there is light at the tunnel as the party’s elected members of parliament, local councillors and mayors end their boycott of parliamentary and council sittings.

The boycott was sparked by the government’s decision to appoint a known ruling party loyalist and supporter – Edmund Sylvester Alpha, as head of the country’s Electoral Commission, responsible for overseeing the forthcoming 2028 presidential and general elections.

But President Bio has refused to accept the APC’s demand for Edmund Alpha to be removed from office, in order to build confidence and trust in the electoral system and process. 

Also, central to the APC party’s decision to stay away from parliament and local councils, was the row over the government’s failure to implement key recommendations of the Tripartite Agreement for National Unity Report, including electoral reforms ahead of the 2028 elections.

Weeks of political instability and paralysis have now come to an end, following the intervention of the international community, represented by ECOWAS, the United Nations Office of West Africa UNOWAS), and the Commonwealth Secretariat – otherwise known as Sierra Leone’s political moral guarantors.

After intensive discussions with the opposition APC and the government, held last week, the political moral guarantors – led by the former vice president of The Gambia, Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, published the following statement:

But can President Bio and his ruling SLPP party be trusted to heed the call of the international moral guarantors, for serious and meangful electoral reforms as outlined in the recommedations of the Tripartite Agreement for National Unity Report?

Mayor of Freetown Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said after the conclusion of the discussions: “A very intensive and constructive eight-day mission of the International Moral Guarantors of the Agreement for National Unity between the All People’s Congress (APC) Party and the Government of Sierra Leone, concluded today with a press briefing.

“As a member of the APC’s Negotiation Team, I was present as the positive outcomes of many, many hours of intense negotiations were read out in the attached communique delivered by the former Vice President of the Gambia, H. E. Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang on behalf of the International Moral Guarantors (ECOWAS, UNOWAS and the Commonwealth Secretariat).

“I extend my sincere thanks to all the International Moral Guarantors and their technical teams and to the Hon Vice President Dr Muhammed Juldeh Jalloh and the Government delegation that engaged with the APC over the course of the past week.

“My special thanks are extended to my comrades in the APC Negotiation Team, especially our Chief Negotiator Dr Kaifala Marah, for their exemplary professional and technical engagement. Thanks also to Acting Chairman Amb Alhaji Osman Yansaneh and National Secretary General Lansana Dumbuya Esq for their excellent leadership.

“We now look forward to fully participating in and monitoring the timely, effective and inclusive implementation of the Tripartite Recommendations.”

The opposition APC will now be returning to parliament and running of local councils, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr told the Sierra Leone Telegraph yesterday. 

This is the press statement published by the APC party, following talks with the international community:

This is Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr speaking yesterday 21 April 2026, on AYV TV’s Wake Up Salone programme, about the outcome of negotiations regarding the implementation of the Tripartite Recommendations: