Freetown, 14 August 2026 – The All People’s Congress (APC) has rejected the purported passage of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025, describing the parliamentary process as a “legislative heist,” “constitutional banditry,” and legally void.
The main opposition party has vowed to challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court and demanded its immediate suspension.
The announcement was made during an APC press conference held today at the party’s headquarters in Freetown. National Secretary General Lansana Dumbuya led the briefing, stating that the APC does not recognise the reported passage of the Bill on 10 August 2026.
He said the party would not legitimise what it considers illegitimate governance and would pursue the matter in the Supreme Court to ensure constitutional safeguards are respected.
“We are committed to pursuing this matter through the Supreme Court to ensure that constitutional safeguards are respected,” Dumbuya stated.
In a strongly worded statement, the APC said no arm of government is above the Constitution. It argued that constitutional changes cannot be imposed through what it called fraud, misinterpretation, or bribery.
The party is demanding strict compliance with Section 108 of the 1991 Constitution, which requires that any bill altering the Constitution must be supported on the second and third readings by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all Members of Parliament.
The Bill, passed amid a dramatic walkout by APC Members of Parliament, contains major reforms. These include reducing the presidential election victory threshold from 55 percent to 50 percent plus one vote, with a geographic spread requirement of at least 20 percent of votes in two-thirds of the country’s districts; making proportional representation the permanent system for electing ordinary Members of Parliament; and introducing a constitutional minimum 30 percent quota for women in political nominations. It also expands opportunities for Sierra Leoneans with dual citizenship to contest parliamentary seats and hold public office.
While the APC has expressed support for the women’s quota and dual-citizenship provisions, it strongly opposes the shift away from the First-Past-the-Post constituency system and the lowering of the presidential threshold. The party maintains that these changes risk undermining direct accountability between MPs and their constituents and weakening the need for broad national consensus in presidential elections.
The APC has called on Sierra Leoneans, civil society organisations, religious leaders, and the international community to reject what it terms an act of “constitutional theft.”
It urged citizens to make their voices heard peacefully but firmly, while demanding that the Speaker of Parliament and the Government suspend implementation of the Bill pending a Supreme Court determination.
The dispute centres on the interpretation of Section 108. APC MPs, led by Opposition Leader Abdul Kargbo, walked out after the Speaker ruled that the two-thirds threshold did not apply in the manner the opposition insisted. Parliament proceeded with the vote in their absence. The Speaker has indicated that aspects of the procedural dispute would be referred for judicial guidance.
The APC concluded that it would not stand by while, in its view, Sierra Leone’s democracy is dismantled. It insisted that justice, legality, and the will of the people must prevail. The matter now shifts to the judiciary, where the country’s highest court is expected to provide clarity on the constitutionality of the parliamentary process and the amendment itself.
