In fact, the Ides of March once signified the new year, which meant celebrations and rejoicing; and a new dawn is upon the APC Party for it to celebrate... UNITY.
23rd March 2021
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the Ides of March usually end with bad omens for those who think they are the star attraction.
The purpose of this piece is to offer a clinical rebuttal to a badly researched and ill-advised article put out into the public domain, which naively comments that Chief Alhaji Sam Sumana is not eligible for the APC Flagbearership in 2023.
For clarity and context the FULL article is reproduced below but with RELEVANT COMMENTARY in the form of a "RETORT:", after each major paragraph AND in capital letters for distinction from the original text.
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The Article...and RETORTS.
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SUMANA IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE APC FLAGBEARER RACE "RETORT: SAM SUMANA IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE APC FLAGBEARER RACE."
The APC in recent times has radically reshaped what it means to be a party member, making it easier and cheaper to join but giving members greater direct say over party decisions. "RETORT: GREAT MOVE! FLAGBEARERS WILL BE ELECTED AND NOT SELECTED AS IN PRIOR YEARS, PROVIDED THE AMENDED APC CONSTITUTION IS DULY ADOPTED. LEGAL ACTION AND INJUNCTIONS MEANS IT HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED YET, AND SO 1995 VERSION IS IN PLAY. "
The piece examines questions of party membership qualifications for Presidential Flagbearer. "RETORT: IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN NOW SO LEGAL AND OTHER ACTION CANNOT BE SUCCESSFULLY TAKEN LATER TO FORESTALL THE PROGRESS OF THE PARTY BY INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL OPPOSITION FORCES."
The primary question is how does Sam Sumana's criss-cross membership of the APC party to the C4C to the APC systematically affects his chances of qualification for the Presidential Flagbearer of the APC? "RETORT: IT DOES NOT AFFECT HIS CHANCES IN ANY MATERIAL WAY."
We answer these questions using the following provisions of the Draft APC Constitution and leaves the judgement to people to make. "RETORT: THIS STATEMENT CLEARLY HIGHLIGHTS THE NAIVETY OF THE AUTHOR AND THE DESPERATION BEHIND THE MOVE TO PRODUCE THE SAID ARTICLE.
MY RETORT COULD SUCCESSFULLY END HERE AS THEY THEMSELVES REFER TO THE DOCUMENT THEY RELY ON AS A DRAFT. IT HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED BY THE PARTY., SO ONLY HAS CREDENCE IN SPIRIT. "
Chapter 2, Article 9 (a) (iii) states: A person is eligible for Party membership if he:... is not a member of another political Party in Sierra Leone; "RETORT: CHIEF ALHAJI SAM SUMANA IS NOT A MEMBER OF ANY PARTY OTHER THAN THE APC; AS AT 23 MARCH 2021".
Article 13 (d) further states: A member of the Party who contests as an independent candidate against the official candidate of the Party or who joins or declares his or her support for another Political Party or its candidate, or for an independent candidate when the Party has sponsored a candidate in a general or by-election shall forfeit his membership of the Party provided that such a member is found liable by a Disciplinary Committee. "RETORT: THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO CHIEF SAM SUMANA BECAUSE, THE APC PARTY HAS NOT SPONSORED A CANDIDATE FOR THE UPCOMING 2023 GENERAL ELECTION IN SIERRA LEONE SINCE SAM SUMANA WAS REINSTATED IN SEPTEMBER 2020, AND AT NO TIME DURING HIS LONG-STANDING MEMBERSHIP OF THE APC DID THIS SCENARIO APPLY TO HIM."
Article 13 (f) also states: Whenever a person ceases to be a member of the Party through resignation, expulsion or forfeiture of membership, the person may reapply for membership of the Party subject to the provisions of Chapter 2 of this Constitution and that the decision to re–admit a person to the Party shall be made by the National Advisory Committee. "RETORT: CHIEF SAM SUMANA WAS EXPELLED IN CONTROVERSIAL FASHION FROM THE APC PARTY - A POSITION BUTTRESSED BY THE ECOWAS COURT OF JUSTICE. - BUT NAC HAS ALREADY ENDORSED THE REINSTATEMENT OF CHIEF SAM SUMANA SO IF THE PARTY WAS CONDUCTING ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES BASED ON THE NEW CONSTITUTION, THEN CHIEF SAM SUMANA WOULD ALREADY BE A BONAFIDE MEMBER OF THE APC PARTY; BUT AS HIS LETTER OF RETURN STATES, THE NATIONAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE (NDC) WOULD BE THE PLACE FOR RATIFICATION OF THE DECISION TO REINSTATE CHIEF SAM SUMANA TO THE APC, AND THAT IS BASED ON THE PREVAILING 1995 CONSTITUTION.
NOTE THAT IN THE SPIRIT OF THE WORDS IN THE DRAFT APC CONSTITUTION AS QUOTED BY THE ORIGINATING AUTHOR, THE DECISION TO REINSTATE CHIEF SAM SUMANA IS IN SPIRIT, ALREADY MADE THROUGH NAC."
The National Advisory Committee's letter dated 10th September 2020 addressed to Sam Sumana conveyed NAC's decision of 8th September 2020 accepted, pardoned and expulsion lifted on Sam Sumana's membership in the Party but noted that that decision shall be endorsed by the National Delegates Conference. "RETORT: ENDORSED NOT MADE. THIS DECISION BY NAC IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE (1) IT HINGES ON THE TENETS OF THE 1995 APC PARTY CONSTITUTION AND NOT THE NEW ONE THAT IS YET TO BE RATIFIED AT THE NATIONAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE SO IT IS NOT IN PLAY JUST YET; AND (2) UNTIL SUCH A TIME AS THE NDC VOTE AGAINST THE NAC DECISION THEN IT CONTINUES TO STAND LEGAL AND TALL IN THE ANNALS OF THE APC PARTY. CHIEF SAM SUMANA IS ALREADY AN APC MEMBER."
Article 61 (b) thus states: For a Member to be eligible to be voted for, that Member must have been a registered paid up member of the Party for a continuous period of not less than five years. "RETORT: WHAT IS RELEVANT AT THIS JUNCTURE IS, WHAT DOES THE 1995 APC CONSTITUTION SAY ABOUT IT?, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE PREMATURE AND WRONG TO START APPLYING THE NEWLY DRAFTED CONSTITUTION PRIOR TO IT BEING LEGALLY ADOPTED BY THE APC PARTY AT A NDC. IT IS NOT A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT EVERY CLAUSE IN THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION WILL BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT ANY CHALLENGES, DEBATES AND AMENDMENTS AT THE NDC , SO IT IS PREMATURE TO REACH ANY MATERIAL CONCLUSIONS BASED ON ITS PROVISIONS."
If these provisions are anything to go by do you think Chief Alhaji Sidique Sam Sumana will be eligible to contest for the Presidential candidature of the APC flagebearer? "RETORT: THIS IS A MOOT QUESTION BECAUSE THESE PROVISIONS QUOTED BY THE AUTHOR AND ON WHICH THEIR FINAL QUESTION HINGES, ARE NOT THOSE ACCEPTED BY THE APC PARTY AT THE MOMENT. WHEN THE PARTY COMMUNICATED BY LETTER WITH CHIEF SAM SUMANA ON 10th SEPTEMBER 2020 THEY WERE GUIDED BY THE 1995 APC CONSTITUTION."
END OF ARTICLE AND RETORTS
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CONCLUSIONS
CLEARLY, THE APC PARTY IS IN A STATE OF FLUX WITH THE REVIEW OF ITS CONSTITUTION UNDER WAY AMID MULTIPLE LEGAL CHALLENGES LEADING TO INJUNCTIONS. WE WOULD EXPECT ANY WELL MEANING COMRADE TO FOCUS ON ISSUES THAT WILL STRENGTHEN THE PARTY MEMBERSHIP, NOT CLAMOUR FOR EXCLUSION OF COMRADES THAT COULD HELP THE PARTY WIN ELECTIONS AGAINST A WELL RESOURCED INCUMBENT. REMEMBER, THE APC PARTY ARE IN OPPOSITION."
When heroes in movies, books and television shows are faced with the Ides of March, it's always a bad omen. Authors such as this one that prompted this retort are now facing their Ides of March. Are you going to do the APC Party a disservice by breeding disunity?
You are a passionate man; Dr Samura Kamara, and you were the chosen one for the APC Party FLAGBEARER in 2018 against all odds; it behooves you and your supporting comrades to encourage and allow the 2023 process to unfold in a peaceful environment for the good of the party.
What your supporting team are doing now shows chronic fear and a distinct lack of confidence in your own popularity.
Without all these public shenanigans you were chosen ahead of those who actively campaigned and were way better known than you at the time. Let the process unfold!!!
You stand a better chance vis a vis 2018; of getting the 2023 Flag, because you are now better known than in 2018; but trying to exclude Chief Alhaji Sam Sumana from the Flagbearer race through surreptitious means would not be the best thing to do for the chances of the APC Party at the next general elections.
No one should be left behind.
At the NDC it is imperative that the ratification of the NAC decision to reinstate Chief Sam Sumana is item number one on the Agenda, because he was expelled through the 1995 Constitution. The article retorted to has highlighted that there are folks on a mission to exclude Chief Sam Sumana from the 2023 race, by any means necessary.
Item number two at the NDC should then be the adoption of the draft 2021 Constitution, which would lead to a clean outcome that positions the party for success at the next general elections.
As long as the party is sincere in its dealings with Chief Sam Sumana the NDC will allow his ratification to take pride of place as the FIRST Agenda item at the next Conference of delegates, whenever that may be, but in the meantime, it is clear that in the spirit of fairness, Chief Sam Sumana is a bonafide second generation member of the APC Party who should not be excluded from competing in any race to choose a party FLAGBEARER for the 2023 elections in Sierra Leone.
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