In a noteworthy political development, the National Advisory Committee (NAC) of the All Peoples Congress (APC) has officially reaffirmed the readmission of Hon. Chief Alhaji Samuel Sam Sumana, former Vice President of Sierra Leone, into the party.
This announcement came following a meeting held on May 22, 2024, at the APC headquarters in Freetown, which was attended by Sumana and his entourage.
Sumana’s return to the APC, initially decided during the February National Delegates’ Conference, was formally confirmed in alignment with the APC’s November 2022 Constitution. “The discussions during the meeting were friendly and familial,” the APC stated, highlighting the cooperative atmosphere that prevailed.
Expressing his commitment to the party, Sumana said, “I am committed to working with the APC to ensure unity and cohesion.” His words underscored a renewed dedication to the party’s future endeavors.
APC National Secretary-General Larisana Dumbuya Esq. emphasized the significance of Sumana’s readmission. “We warmly welcome our comrade, Chief Alhaji Samuel Sumana, and all others readmitted to the Mighty APC,” she stated. “In the struggles of the APC, there’s victory.”
The APC conveyed its optimism for the future, concluding, “May God bless our party, may God bless Sierra Leone.”
This reaffirmation represents a pivotal moment for the APC, aiming to consolidate its ranks and strengthen its political influence ahead of future challenges.
Sumana’s re-entry into the APC marks a significant turn of events, given his expulsion on March 6, 2015. At that time, the NAC cited reasons including “anti-party activity, fermenting violence, deceit, false statements amounting to fraud, inciting hate, threatening the personal security of key party functionaries, flouting of rulings and decisions of the party, carrying out anti-party propaganda, and engaging in activities inconsistent with the party’s objectives.”
The situation escalated when, on March 18, 2015, President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma dismissed Vice President Sumana for allegedly “abandoning” his duties by reportedly seeking political asylum at the US Embassy in Freetown.
Following his expulsion, Sumana became the Presidential flag bearer of the newly formed C4C Party, which emerged from disgruntled APC members in the diaspora. Known as the “Kono Party,” the C4C dominated the 2018 elections in Kono district, securing all but one Parliamentary seat and winning both the City and District Council elections.
In 2020, Sumana resigned from the C4C to return to the APC, following several clandestine meetings with top APC officials, including the party’s Chairman/Leader, former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma. His membership status within the APC had been uncertain until this recent reaffirmation.
