Freetown, Sierra Leone – December 24, 2025*l: Sierra Leone’s Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) has declared that former Vice President Alhaji Chief Samuel Sam-Sumana is fully eligible to vie for the All People’s Congress (APC) flagbearer position, citing his compliance with the party’s five-year continuous membership requirement.
In a detailed ruling issued on December 23, 2025, the PPRC determined that Sam-Sumana’s official readmission to the APC occurred in September 2020, following a legitimate decision by the party’s National Advisory Committee (NAC). This, the commission said, allows him to meet the threshold outlined in Article 56(b) of the APC constitution, which mandates that any flagbearer aspirant must have been a fully paid-up member without interruption for at least five years prior to the election.
The commission emphasized that the NAC meeting on September 8, 2020, was validly convened amid the COVID-19 national emergency. During that period, the NAC was empowered to exercise the authority typically reserved for a full National Delegates Conference, making Sam-Sumana’s reinstatement binding and immediate.
Dismissing claims that further approvals from other party bodies were needed, the PPRC stated that the NAC’s action stood as final. It also criticized later communications from party officials questioning his status as misleading and potentially motivated by ill intent.
The ruling clarified Sam-Sumana’s membership history: He was expelled from the APC in 2015 (leading to his removal as vice president), remained outside the party until 2020, and any financial contributions during the interim were treated as voluntary donations, not dues. Since his 2020 readmission, however, he has enjoyed uninterrupted full membership.
Consequently, the PPRC rejected any suggestions that Sam-Sumana falls short of the eligibility criteria for the flagbearer race.
Additionally, the commission condemned the APC’s Interim Transitional Governance Committee for barring him from the 2023 flagbearer contest without proper notification or due process, labeling the move as flawed and unfair.
In its directives, the PPRC instructed the APC to update Sam-Sumana’s records to accurately reflect his September 2020 readmission date and to ensure all future internal procedures adhere strictly to the party’s constitution and national laws.
This decision underscores the importance of upholding party rules and legal membership standards over discretionary actions, potentially reshaping dynamics within Sierra Leone’s main opposition party as it prepares for upcoming elections.
