By George M.O Williams
Presidential Candidates of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) on Saturday, June 24, 2023, cast their votes in Freetown.
President Julius Maada Bio cast his vote at the Hockey Pitch, Wilberforce in Freetown while Dr Samura Kamara cast his at the Manfa Field in Lumley in Freetown. Both candidates are optimistic of winning the presidential election.
Approximately 3.3 million people – around half of the entire population –registered to vote in a keenly contested election.
After casting his vote, the APC presidential candidates raised concern about delay in opening of polling stations in the opposition strongholds of Western Area Urban and Western Area Rural. He said that in some polling stations in the ruling party strongholds, only two ballot papers were given to voters excluding the slips for presidential and parliamentary elections.
The SLPP presidential candidate said the process was smooth.
Hockey Pitch, Wilberforce Military Barracks, Freetown, 24 June 2023 – His Excellency President Bio said, “I have cast my votes for the future of my daughter’s education.”
He also confirmed that the center, where he voted, was much better, saying, “I hope it is good elsewhere. So far, I have checked with other districts and towns, and I was reliably told that the process is easy”.
The President also called on Sierra Leoneans to be patient, noting that “every process has its own challenges”. “The fact that the election centers were not open in time does not mean the process will not go on. I am calling on all registered voters to have patience and go cast their votes. This election is about your future. It is about the future of our country, and, therefore, I am calling on all Sierra Leoneans to be patient and ensure that they cast their votes,” he said.