Freetown, Sierra Leone – March 4, 2026 – In a bold escalation of political tensions, Sierra Leone’s main opposition party, the All Peoples Congress (APC), has announced the immediate withdrawal of its elected officials from Parliament and local councils nationwide.
The move comes in protest against the recent appointment of Edmond Sylvester Alpha as Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), which the APC claims violates key electoral reform agreements.
The decision was revealed in a press statement released by the APC following a high-level meeting on March 3, 2026, at the Brookfields Hotel in Freetown. Convened by the National Peace and Cohesion Commission (NPCC), the gathering included APC leadership, the party’s negotiating team, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and other international partners.
The meeting aimed to assess progress on implementing recommendations from the Tripartite Committee, stemming from the October 2023 Agreement for National Unity.
According to the APC, the government has shown “persistent and flagrant disregard” for the agreed reforms, culminating in Alpha’s appointment. The party argues that this decision “runs directly contrary to the spirit, intent, and sequencing of the Tripartite reform commitments.”
Alpha, who has been widely associated with the controversial 2023 electoral process, is seen by the APC as undermining public confidence in the ECSL and threatening the credibility of future elections.
The Tripartite Committee, formally known as the Cross-Party Committee on Electoral Systems and Management Bodies Review, was established under the Agreement for National Unity signed between the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) and the APC in October 2023. This pact sought to resolve the political impasse following the disputed 2023 general elections, where the APC contested the results that saw President Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) secure a second term. The committee’s July 2024 report outlined 80 recommendations for electoral management, institutional reforms, and legal changes to strengthen democracy and national cohesion.
The APC’s press statement, signed by National Secretary-General Lansana Dumbuya, Esq., emphasized that the withdrawal is not driven by partisan motives but by a “principled commitment to electoral integrity, constitutional governance, and the preservation of democratic legitimacy in Sierra Leone.”
The party has vowed to maintain this boycott until Alpha vacates his position at the ECSL.
This development marks a significant setback for Sierra Leone’s fragile post-election reconciliation efforts. The 2023 polls were marred by allegations of irregularities, leading to the APC’s initial boycott of governance structures until the Agreement for National Unity was brokered with international mediation from the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, and the Commonwealth. Recent delays in implementing the Tripartite recommendations, including calls for a dedicated parliamentary oversight committee on electoral matters, have fueled ongoing concerns among opposition groups and civil society.
President Bio’s administration has defended Alpha’s appointment, which was sworn in on March 3, 2026, following parliamentary approval and endorsements from 12 political parties. However, the APC had previously issued a 24-hour ultimatum in late February 2026 demanding the reversal of the nomination, threatening a nationwide governance boycott if ignored.
As of now, the APC remains open to re-engaging in the governance process “once meaningful steps are taken to restore confidence in the electoral reform process and uphold the commitments contained in the Agreement for National Unity.”
Government officials have yet to issue a formal response to the APC’s announcement, but sources indicate that talks mediated by ECOWAS may resume in the coming days to avert further escalation.
