APC Reaffirms Commitment to a Credible, People-Centred Census Amid Concerns of Government Manipulation

APC Reaffirms Commitment to a Credible, People-Centred Census Amid Concerns of Government Manipulation

 

Sheriff Mahmud Ismail

Abuja – Friday 16th May, 2025 –

In a measured yet compelling show of statesmanship, the All People’s Congress (APC) has reiterated its unwavering support for a credible, development-oriented national census while raising critical concerns over what it sees as the politicisation of the process by the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government.

At a well-attended press conference convened in Freetown, senior APC officials, including National Deputy Chairman Amb. Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh and Census Technical Committee Chairman Comrade Leonard Balogun Koroma, expressed deep reservations over the circumstances surrounding the postponement of the 2025 Population and Housing Census to 2026. They warned that the deferral, while seemingly administrative, masks a larger political calculus designed to influence electoral boundaries and delay a return to the constituency-based electoral system, as recommended by the Tripartite Committee.

“Our concern,” said Yansaneh, “is not just about timelines, but about integrity. The census is too important to be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. We believe in a data-driven national process, not one shaped by short-term partisan interests.”

The APC’s position, while critical of the government’s role, was clear in its support for the national interest. Citing the critical role that census data plays in development planning, resource allocation, and electoral demarcation, the party underscored its readiness to collaborate fully with Statistics Sierra Leone and other stakeholders to ensure a credible process. “We have constituted our own Census Technical Committee to lend support and provide oversight where needed,” Yansaneh noted.

The party also extended appreciation to Sierra Leone’s development partners, whose support has been vital to the country’s democratic and institutional development. “Our development partners must be commended,” said Koroma, “but we respectfully urge them to be vigilant. Their goodwill must not be misused to validate incompetence or political manipulation.”

Drawing historical perspective, Koroma referenced the mid-term census of 2021, widely criticised for lacking methodological soundness and inclusive participation. “That census was marred by controversy and its credibility was questioned even by international experts,” he said. “Now, we risk repeating that mistake.”

The APC’s critique hinges significantly on the findings of the January 2025 UN Technical Assessment Mission, which revealed glaring gaps in preparation by Statistics Sierra Leone: no census project document, incomplete cartographic work, delayed recruitment, and a massive $30.5 million funding shortfall. The party believes that these shortcomings are not coincidental but result from deliberate political interference. “It was a trap,” Koroma remarked bluntly. “The SLPP government set up Stats SL to fail, just to avoid reverting to the more democratic constituency-based system.”

Legal minds within the party, including APC Secretary General Lansana Dumbuya Esq., have pointed to the constitutional implications of the delay. Referencing Section 33 of the 1991 Constitution and Recommendation 38(b) of the Tripartite Committee Report, Dumbuya argued that census data published less than 24 months before a general election should not be used for boundary delimitation. “This delay now means that new electoral boundaries cannot be drawn in time for 2028, unless another non-democratic PR system is used. That is not acceptable,” he stated.

Despite these concerns, the APC was careful to reassure the public and international partners of its full cooperation. “We are not against the census,” Koroma emphasised. “We are against manipulation. Sierra Leone needs reliable data for health, education, agriculture, and equitable development. Let’s get it right—for the people, not the politicians.”

Historically, censuses in Sierra Leone have been infrequent and often politically sensitive. The last decennial census was conducted in 2015, preceded by the 2004 exercise that followed the end of the civil war. The mid-term census in 2021, drew scepticism over its motives. Experts like Prof. Joseph Ayee of the University of Ghana have long warned that in transitional democracies, censuses are often “more than statistical—they are political instruments that must be handled with transparency and neutrality.”

The APC’s latest intervention, while sharply critical of the SLPP, strikes a deliberate tone of national responsibility. It calls for a renewed commitment to governance, transparency, and institutional competence. “This is not about scoring political points,” said Yansaneh. “This is about making sure that our children inherit a Sierra Leone that plans with truth, governs with data, and counts everyone with fairness.”

As the countdown to 2026 begins, all eyes are now on Statistics Sierra Leone and the government to demonstrate the professionalism and urgency required. And as the APC signals its constructive engagement, the hope is that Sierra Leone may yet turn the census from a contested event into a true tool of national transformation.