Freetown, November 19, 2025 – The opposition All People’s Congress (APC) has strongly denied knowledge of any verified incident involving its district chairman, Hon. Lahai Marah, in an official response to the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) following a notice of alleged breach.
In a detailed letter made public today, the APC insisted that no sanction or penalty should be imposed without the presentation of authentic, unedited evidence and an opportunity for the party to formally respond.
The party highlighted the growing menace of doctored audio recordings and manipulated videos circulating on social media, warning that such content is increasingly being used to inflame tensions and mislead the public. APC officials urged the PPRC to exercise “the highest level of diligence” before taking any regulatory action based on potentially fabricated material.
The response also pointed to what the APC described as a pattern of selective enforcement by the Commission.
The party cited recent public statements by senior members of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) that it claims threatened national security and undermined social cohesion, noting that no similar scrutiny or reprimand has been issued by the PPRC in those cases.
“The Commission must remain an impartial referee in our multi-party democracy,” the letter stated. “Any perception of bias erodes the very foundation of public confidence in the regulatory process.”
Reaffirming its willingness to apply internal disciplinary measures if credible evidence is produced, the APC underscored its full commitment to the Joint Political Agreement signed on November 11, 2025, and called on all political actors to exercise restraint in order to safeguard the country’s fragile stability.
The party concluded by expressing confidence that the PPRC will discharge its mandate fairly and in strict accordance with the law.
Copies of the correspondence were sent to diplomatic missions, the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), the National Civil Society Council, and several international observer groups, signaling the APC’s intent to keep the matter under broad scrutiny.
The PPRC has yet to issue a public response to the APC’s letter.
