APC Members Denounce ITGC Chairman  

By Sallieu S. Kanu

Members of the All People’s Congress (APC) party in Constituency 129 have denounced the Chairman of the Interim Transitional Governance Committee (ITGC), Alfred Peter Conteh for allegedly flouting court order and  the party constitution, and breeding conflict in the Party.

In a letter addressed to Justice Adrian Fisher, the APC members said that “we are convinced that Alfred Peter Conteh is currently destabilizing the party that our ancestors and current generations have worked so hard for.”

See full letter below:

Concern APC Members of Constituency 129

1 College Road, off Main Motor Road Congo Cross Freetown +23277437256/+23278782550

Thursday, September 29, 2022

The High Court Judge,

Justice Adrian Fisher,

Law Court Building, Siaka Stevens Street,

Freetown, Western Urban.

Dear Sir,

RE: PROTEST AGAINST THE INTERIM TRANSITIONAL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN OF THE ALL PEOPLES CONGRESS (APC) PARTY, MR. ALFRED PETER CONTEH.

Reference to the above subject, we as Concerned Members of APC-in Constituency 129, Western Urban are hereby writing and informing you about what is happening in our party, the APC. After the judgement in the matter between Alfred Peter Conteh (Suing by his Attorney Rashid Santigie Sesay) -and- Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh, All Peoples Congress, and Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC); handed down by your good self, on 28th April, 2022 where amongst several directives you ordered the Plaintiff, Alfred Peter Conteh plus other structures within the Party to form an Interim Transitional Governance Committee (ITGC) in order to mann the affairs of the APC until the Party goes  through all levels of party convention leading to a National Delegates Conference (NDC). 

My lord, you also ordered that the ITGC shall be composed of 21 officers, of which nine members shall be appointed by the Plaintiff, one of which shall be the Chairman. You maintained that the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Chernor Bah in consultation with Members of Parliament shall nominate eight serving members of Parliament distributed regionally as follows: Two MPs from the North, Two from Northwest, Two from Western Area, One each from the South and East, One Young Congress representative, One Diaspora, One Women’s Congress and One Legal representative of the Party of not less than 20 years standing.

My lord, you further directed that ITGC shall be guided in their operations by the Court ruling and the 2022 APC Party Constitution and to further draw rules for the conduct of all levels of elections within the Party. We are informed that up to now the rules which were prepared by the 21- man Committee have still not been approved because of Alfred’s uncompromising stance against the majority. You maintained that a 25-man team of which its Chairman shall be the head of the APC Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) plus 24-man to be appointed by ITGC be formed to conduct all levels of elections within the Party. 

In an advisory note to members of the 21- member committee by PPRC the Commission suggested that the plaintiff could nominate 10 and the remaining 14 could be nominated by representatives of the other five organs of the party. Our understanding is that the latter has adhered to the PPRC advice and submitted 14 names. But Alfred Peter Conteh has refused to abide by the PPRC advice and we are told he has deliberately disregarded PPRC advice. 

However, regardless of all these directives, including your ruling, we have seen the following disturbing happenings in our Party:

1. That the Plaintiff, Mr. Alfred Peter Conteh, who happens to be the Chairman of the ITGC, is allegedly an American/Sierra Leone dual citizenship holder. He is abusing the court ruling ordered by you and the Party Constitution.
2. That we are seeing a situation where the ITGC Chairman has single-handedly gone all over the country selecting people without due process and totally forgetting that he took the party to court among other things for SELECTING officers of our Party.
3. That he would call Press Conferences without abiding by your ruling; that a simple majority is required for any decision the committee intends to take. He disregards the consent of the majority of the 21man committee including the Secretary.
4. That he has been imposing people in different offices of the Party at all levels in our country including regional, district and constituency and Diaspora levels.
5. That those appointees in turn are now going round the country imposing Party monitors to mann the ongoing national voter registration exercise, ignoring the will of the Party and the majority of its members.
6. That pursuant to those arbitrary appointments, tension and conflict have started occurring across the country including regional, district and constituency level conflicts.
7. That because of those tension and potential conflict; many APC members and supporters are currently in police custody across the country due to arrests being made by police on the instructions of Alfred Peter Conteh. 

My lord, on the standpoint of the above seven points, we are convinced that Alfred Peter Conteh is currently destabilizing the party that our ancestors and current generations have worked so hard for.  My lord, we are further convinced that the purported actions of ITGC Chairman would create confusion and mayhem in the country as a whole and the party in particular, and later we are convinced the Plaintiff could run back to the US leaving us to suffer. We don’t have alternative homes. The behavior of Alfred is uncalled for, and the people of this country are ready and willing to defend their right under the confines of the law.

My lord, there is no constitutional right nor a provision in the ruling of your court that warrants Alfred Peter Conteh to select people in various offices without going through the electioneering process or at least securing a simple majority as you directed in your ruling “in the interest of party unity”. Alfred Peter Conteh (the Plaintiff) is fully aware that the current substantive APC Constitution, 2022 is no longer in tandem with any selection provision. Having said this, My lord, on behalf of all peace loving members and supporters of the All Peoples Congress, Concerned APC Members- in Constituency 129 are demanding for a legitimate democratic process to be honored by Alfred Peter Conteh for the betterment of all APC members and Sierra Leoneans as a whole. We believe that one of the core functions of political parties is to shape the political will of the people.

Therefore, we are calling for your intervention and strongly asking Alfred Peter Conteh to follow due process of the law, other than that, we will be forced to peacefully demonstrate in our numbers against one person who wrongly believes that he has the full support of your court. This man has the propensity to create chaos and disunity in our party and the country. We thank you for your timely response in advance and hoping that this letter will be given the attention and prompt action it deserves.

Yours faithfully,

………………………                                                                                                         ………………………….

Abdul Rahman Sankoh                                                                                         Tambay Mansaray

Chairman                                                                                         Secretary

Cc:

1. The Head of The Majority Party, APC In Parliament
2. PPRC
3. ECSL
4. The British High Commissioner
5. EU Delegation
6. US Ambassador
7. ECOWAS
8. Mano River Union
9. AU Delegation
10. Sierra Leone Bar Association
11. SLAJ
12. The media 13. Religious Bodies 14. File.