Freetown – National Publicity Secretary of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Moses Sellu Mambu, has drawn sharp criticism after comments that appeared to leave open the possibility of national elections taking place in 2030 rather than the constitutionally expected year of 2028.
According to reports of his remarks, Mambu stated: “I said the election whether in 2028 or 2030…” The phrasing has fuelled public anxiety that the government or ruling party may be contemplating a delay or extension of President Julius Maada Bio’s second term.
Under Section 46 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, no person may hold the office of President for more than two terms of five years each, consecutive or otherwise. Bio was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2023; his current term is therefore due to end in 2028, with general elections scheduled that year.
Official statements from State House, the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, and the President himself have repeatedly confirmed that the next presidential election is expected in 2028, and Bio has publicly ruled out seeking a third term.
Mambu’s reported words have been widely condemned, including by voices inside the SLPP itself. Critics argue that any suggestion of shifting the election date risks undermining constitutional order and public trust, especially amid ongoing debates over proposed constitutional and electoral reforms (including changes to the presidential threshold and the electoral system) that some opposition figures and civil-society groups view with suspicion.
The government has insisted that the reforms are aimed at strengthening democracy ahead of 2028 and are not intended to extend anyone’s tenure.
In recent public appearances and interviews, Mambu and other SLPP officials have otherwise focused on preparations for the 2028 polls, internal party unity, democratic selection of the next flagbearer, and confidence in retaining power that year. No independent verification of the exact “2028 or 2030” phrasing appears in major recent coverage of Mambu’s statements, which have centred on 2028 timelines.
The episode underscores heightened sensitivity around succession and electoral timing as Sierra Leone moves closer to the end of Bio’s second term.
