Sierra Leone’s President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, Leader of the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), joined party faithful, supporters, dignitaries and invited guests in Freetown to commemorate the party’s 75th anniversary, using the landmark occasion to call for unity, discipline, service and strategic preparedness ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Held under the theme “75 Years of Leadership, Legacy and Service,” the Diamond Jubilee celebration reflected on the SLPP’s historic role in Sierra Leone’s political development while setting a forward-looking agenda for the party’s future.
Founded on 27 April 1951 in Bo following consultations in Kambia and Freetown, the SLPP emerged from the coming together of three political movements, the Protectorate Educational Progressive Union, the Sierra Leone Organisation Society, and the People’s Party of Freetown.
President Bio described that moment as one in which “a national idea took shape,” stressing that what emerged was “bigger than a political party” and represented “a national compact.”
In his keynote address, President Bio paid tribute to the party’s founding fathers, mothers, Paramount Chiefs and grassroots mobilisers whose sacrifices laid the foundation for self-governance, independence and national unity.
He particularly praised the women who sustained the movement through their labour and commitment, saying many led without titles and organised without platforms.
“Seventy-five years ago, in the closing years of colonial rule, a group of Sierra Leoneans gathered around a simple but radical idea, that the people of this land, from every region, every chiefdom, every community, belonged to one another and had the right to govern themselves,” the President stated.
President Bio noted that the SLPP has endured because it was built on values deeper than political convenience. He recalled the difficult years when the party was formally banned under the one-party APC state in 1978, and when many supporters were persecuted or denied their political rights. Despite those trials, he said, the party remained alive in the hearts and homes of loyal supporters across the country.
“Our Party has endured because it was built on something deeper than convenience,” he declared, adding that the true strength of any political movement is measured not only when it holds power, but by what remains when power is taken away.
The President also paid glowing tribute to the late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, crediting him and his generation for restoring the party to national leadership when multi-party democracy returned in 1996. He said that generation preserved the flame of the party and passed it on to those who followed.
Reflecting on his own stewardship since assuming leadership responsibilities in 2011, President Bio said his mission had been to rebuild the party, restore discipline, broaden its national appeal and keep it anchored in its founding values. He emphasized that leadership requires firmness, sacrifice and long-term commitment.
“I have given this Party my best years. I would give them again. But I say this clearly, the Sierra Leone People’s Party is greater than any one Leader, including me,” he affirmed.
President Bio urged party members to uphold loyalty, patience and discipline, stressing that no party reaches seventy-five years without disappointments, grievances or hard decisions. He warned against weakening institutions simply because personal ambitions are delayed.
Turning to the 2028 elections, the President said the party must begin preparing now and must approach leadership selection with maturity and strategic clarity. He cautioned against entitlement, factionalism and divisive conduct, insisting that the next flagbearer must emerge through a transparent democratic process.
“Our next Flagbearer and Leader cannot be chosen by sentiment or faction. We must ask honestly, who can unite the Party, win the country, govern competently, and carry Sierra Leone forward?” he said.
He further stressed that the next leader must command respect across regions and generations, build trust beyond traditional support bases, and possess the moral authority to govern effectively.
President Bio reminded supporters that until a new leader is duly elected, he remains fully in charge as party leader, working alongside the National Chairman in managing party affairs. He said the immediate responsibility of the ruling party remains delivering for the people of Sierra Leone through service and results.
“Our duty as the ruling Party remains clear, to serve the people of Sierra Leone diligently, selflessly, and without distraction,” he emphasized.
He also used the occasion to invite young Sierra Leoneans and undecided citizens to engage with the party’s values of unity, opportunity, social justice and service, describing the next chapter of the nation as one that must be built by the younger generation.
Concluding his address, President Bio described the SLPP as Sierra Leone’s “political diamond,” forged under pressure and strengthened through time.
“To Sierra Leone: sixty-five years free. To the SLPP: seventy-five years strong,” he toasted, before ending with the party’s enduring rallying call: One Country. One People
SLPP National Chairman Jimmy Batilo Songa said the party was founded on the principles of unity and progress and remains committed to preserving that legacy. He emphasized the need for financial sustainability, grassroots engagement and collective discipline within the party.
Many party elders, ministers, Members of Parliament, Paramount Chiefs, diplomats and supporters from across the country attended the anniversary dinner
