APC 2018 Presidential Election Petition…Supreme Court Orders Hearing
Two years after the All People’s Congress Presidential candidate, Dr. Samura Kamara, and another member of the party, filed a petition challenging the elections outcome, the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone on the 3rd December 2020, ordered that following the failure on all parties to comply with the Consolidation Order, dated 18th July, 2018, parties in that action should now honour the said ‘Order 1’ by filing a consolidated bundle of the Supreme Court cases No. 6 and 7/2018 serving same on the 1st and 2nd Petitioners as well as 1st and 2nd Defendants.
It could be recalled that in April 2018, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden and Dr. Samura Kamara separately filed petitions challenging the pronouncement of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. These cases were heard by the Supreme Court, presided over by Justices Nicholas Brown Marke (JSC), Eku Roberts (JSC) and Glena Thompson (JSC) who gave directives for both petitions to be consolidated.
Following the consolidation of both petitions on the 18th July, 2018 the Applicants for the 3rd and 4th Defendants, that is, His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio and the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) respectively, filed a Notice of Motion for the setting aside of the petitions on the 3rd August, 2018.
The application is still pending even though affidavits in opposition have been filed. Despite the Order to consolidate the petitions, the cases were still not consolidated.
Presiding on the matter, the Hon. Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards, ordered that the Solicitors for the 3rd and 4th Defendants/Applicants be given time to consolidate the said petitions, which are now titled ‘Supreme Court Case Nos. 6 and 7 of 2018.’ The parties were also ordered to refile their Motions and Affidavits in opposition under the said consolidated petition case, Supreme Court Case Nos. 6 and 7 of 2018
Among the eight Orders, the empaneled Justices (Desmond Babatunde Edwards (CJ), Nicholas Brown Marke (JSC), Eku Roberts (JSC) Alusine Sesay (JSC) and Ivan Sesay (JA) ordered that all parties should be given the opportunity to file any further affidavits if they so desire on or against the adjourned date.
The matter was adjourned to 21st January, 2021 for purpose of confirming whether there has been compliance with all directions.
(C) The Calabash Newspaper
