The All Peoples Congress hereby informs the General Public and APC Supporters in Particular of the dangerous attempt by the SLPP and certain state functionaries to thwart the will of the people through frivolous injunctions against APC Members of Parliament. These are actions stage-managed to prevent our Members of Parliament from participating in the election of the Speaker of Parliament, and by default make way for a pliant SLPP Speaker to be imposed on the country and a parliament where the SLPP has only 49 of the 146 MPs. This means that 97 members of parliament do not belong to the SLPP.
The SLPP applied for injunctions against 16 of our duly elected MPs in the Western Area and five in the North.
Justice DB Edwards in the Western Area heard 11 applications from the SLPP and granted them all but refused to hear the one application of the APC assigned to him on pretext that he was tired.
Justice Alusine Sesay who had already left work for the day was recalled by the Chief Justice to come to court and hear five applications for injunction on behalf of the SLPP and two on behalf of APC. The judge heard all the five applications for the SLPP and granted the injunctions but refused to hear the two applications on behalf of the APC. The orders granted by both Justice Sesay and DB Edwards are identical orders. And it’s rumoured that the said Justice Edwards is lobbying to become the Chief Justice.
The APC Filed 13 petitions against SLPP in Eastern Province, 16 Petitions in the Southern Province and One Petition in the Northern Province
The Northern Province judge granted the injunction against the SLPP, but also slammed five injunctions against APC MPs petitioned by the SLPP
The judges in the Southern and Eastern Provinces could not hear the APC applications for an injunction and adjourned the matter. The Judge in the Eastern Province, Ivan Sesay was twice a Parliamentary candidate for the SLPP.
The APC condemns these injunctions, and views them as attempts to undermine its survival and stifle the voices of hundreds of thousands of Sierra Leoneans who voted for it. The APC supports the action of the Speaker, the Honourable SBB Dumbuya to postpone the opening of parliament because of these developments. The party also condemns the actions of the Clerk of Parliament to subvert the instructions of the Speaker and calls for disciplinary action against him. Let it also be known by all and sundry that the APC will not entertain the thwarting of the will of the people, and further reiterates that the party has the numbers and the support to effect resistance against tyranny.
In view of these developments, the APC Party is calling on all media houses, membership and supporters, and the general public to a press conference at the APC Party Headquarters on Tuesday, 24th April at 10:00am prompt.
Signed
Ambassador Dr Alhaji Osman F. Yansaneh
National Secretary General.
