It was a race well run and despite the depraved  levels to which fanatics and some misguided media operators and writers took the  electioneering campaign, we Sierra Leoneans should congratulate ourselves for a remarkable election that is once again the envy of other African and even Western nations. The Presidential, Legislative and Local council elections the whole world feared would exorcise old ghosts and demons , polarize the nation out of shape and plunge Sierra Leone into another bloody strife (Like the 11 year war we had between 1991 and 2002 ) have come and gone and we emerged from them with profound credit that have earned us the admiration of the world. The very world that feared for us are now patting us on our backs for conducting free, fair, credible and well-conducted elections.

 MAADA BIO, PLEASE DON’T GO TO THE ICC

The opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP)  put up a great fight , but their best was not enough against an incumbent who in five years had transformed the nation so magnificently socio-economically and politically that it was a foregone conclusion that the people of Sierra Leone would vote him in for a second term. The SLPP and their defeated presidential candidate Maada Bio should admit they were no match for President Koroma and the All People’s Congress ( APC ) . It is not a shame to be beaten by a more loved ,  more preferred and a more success-soaked opponent.

The votes cast have been counted and as expected the APC Presidential candidate Dr. Ernest Koroma has won . There is nothing the SLPP  can do that will change the result. International observers and stakeholders have declared the elections one of the best ever and that it met all international standards for free , fair and credible elections. Secondly, the processes  used to count, collate and validate all the votes were  transparent, open and professional and international observers and represntatives of all political parties were present and after each process they all signed forms to validate that proper and transparent procedures were followed. Even when the concerns of alleged ballot-stuffing and over-voting were being addressed , party representatives were present during the recount and they validated the fairness and transparency of the process with signatures. Lastly , no votes were annulled in SLPP  strongholds. The only annullments took place in the Western Area and even if they were given to one candidate, they would not have changed the result.

The SLPP  should not go and waste their time and money in court. The issues are so clear and transparent and credible that the SLPP  will not prevail in court.

Also, Maada Bio should not allow himself to be led by the nose by fanatics and anarchists within the SLPP who since 1967  have helped to imbue their party with the stigma that it never accepts defeats. When ex-President Tejan Kabbah was declared winner of the Maada Bio/NPRC flawed elections in 1996, his closest challenger, Dr. John Karefa-Smart conceded creditably. In 2002, when the same Kabbah was adjudged winner of another questionable election, the current President , Dr.Ernest Koroma, who was his toughest challenger , said he was conceding in the interest of the nation. In so doing, Dr. Koroma protected his political career. In 2007, when the shoe was on the other foot, the SLPP  did not want to concede and could have caused a standoff in the nation but for the intervention of the international community.

Maada Bio is a very young man. He must protect his political career and the reputation of the SLPP  by calling President Koroma and not only congratulating him but pledging to support him in his quest to continue to transform the nation. If Maada Bio does that, he will win the respect and admiration of the nation and the international community . He must not listen to the satanic Ed.Nyalley, Dr. Moiwo Paul, Marcus Margai and other demonic disciples who want to destroy him and have him sent to the International Criminal Court ( ICC)  for prosecution. Maada Bio will not win any offensive against the collective franchise and political will of the people.  If he is being fooled that he will prevail if he sparks chaos, it will be the second time they have fooled him after making him believe that he will win State House.

Maada Bio must concede now.

After all, all will run but only one wins the race.