PREDATORY PRESIDENT BIO AND RULING SLPP HAVE WEAPONIZED STATE INSTITUTIONS AGAINST THE OPPOSITION APC
By Kabs Kanu
As the 2028 Presidential elections approach, the Sierra Leone dictator Maada Bio and his tyrannical Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP ) have started targeting opposition figures seriously. The case of Lansana Dumbuya, Secretary General of the All People’s Congress (APC), has added another shameful layer to the SLPP’s mulitudes of crimes against democracy in Sierra Leone.
The tactics are not new. The SLPP has done it throughout its tenure—-Using Police and Courts Against Political Opposition.
In recent weeks, Sierra Leone’s political climate has again been thrust into controversy as President Julius Maada Bio and his ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) have once again weaponized both the police force and the judiciary to intimidate, silence, and legally entangle critics of the government.
At the center of this storm is the detention and charging of APC National Secretary General, Lansana Dumbuya, an influential opposition leader and barrister, whose arrest has sparked national debate about democratic freedoms, political expression, and the rule of law in Sierra Leone.
On 4 February 2026, Lansana Dumbuya was summoned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Freetown following remarks made at an APC rally held on 31 January 2026, where he led supporters in chanting criticisms of President Bio’s leadership, including the allegation that Bio “stole” the 2023 presidential election.
The thin- skinned SLPP interpreted these statements — notably the chant “Maada Bio na tif man” (Krio for “Maada Bio is a thief man”) — as unlawful and destabilizing, leading to police detention on charges including incitement, insulting conduct, and public insult against the president.
At his initial court appearance, a magistrate denied bail, ordering Dumbuya to remain in custody ahead of future hearings. While reporting on this case has differed slightly across outlets — with some earlier accounts saying he was briefly detained and released on bail after a night in custody — the more recent available report confirms his remand by a magistrate.
Despite all their showboating and propaganda, the SLPP is struggling under the weight of a shameful and divisive legacy of stealing the 2023 Elections in broad daylight, which led to damning reports from international elections observers , local and international stakeholders and the U.S . Department of State and Congress and an unenforced travel ban from America , in addition to withholding the U. S $490 million MCC Compact Award.
The events surrounding Dumbuya cannot be separated from the deep political divisions left by the stolen 2023 elections.
The APC has consistently rejected the legitimacy of that outcome, alleging irregularities in the electoral process and calling for greater transparency and accountability. It is within this context that political rhetoric, including public claims of election theft, has become a flashpoint between the government and its critics.
The SLPP Government’s reactions to these accusations of theft is the Weaponizing State Power. Critics of the SLPP — including APC leaders, civil society organizations, and legal commentators — argue that the police and judiciary are being used as political tools, rather than neutral enforcers of law.
Opposition figures suffer from the SLPP’s vindictive behaviour of disproportionately targeting political speech. The SLPP can never successfully deodorize the stench of their disgraceful detention of an opposition party secretary general for comments made during a political rally, a diabolical act that undermines freedom of expression and political participation, rights that are foundational to democratic governance.
It is also very clear to all that the SLPP is using legal Instruments for Political ends.
While Sierra Leone’s laws against public incitement and insult exist, the opposition maintains they are being selectively applied to silence critics rather than to protect public order. Charging a senior opposition official with criminal offenses for rhetoric that is firmly political in character raises concerns about the independence of prosecutorial discretion and judicial review.
Legal advocacy groups like the Lawyers’ Society of Sierra Leone have voiced serious concerns about Dumbuya’s detention, warning that criminalizing opposition speech could have chilling effects on civic freedoms.
APC Members of Parliament are threatening to boycott parliamentary business in protest, arguing that their colleague’s arrest reflects a broader pattern of intimidation aimed at weakening the opposition’s role in national governance and undermine their chances of winning the 2028 elections.
Government’s Justification and Counterarguments to Dumbuya’s arrest sound so ludicrous . Supporters of the ruling party have defended the police and judiciary’s actions on the grounds that maintaining public order and respect for the presidency are legitimate state interests. They argue that public figures — including the president — cannot be subject to unverified accusations that risk inciting discord or undermining civic stability.
However, the framing of these actions continues to be contested in public discourse, with the opposition and many observers insisting that political criticism must be protected in a democratic society. After all, SLPP operatives called former President Ernest Koroma a thief during wild demonstrations at the White House, World Bank and the UN during the tenure of the APC. Many of the organizers of these protests where vile allegations were made against President Koroma are now holding key positions in the SLPP Government.
The Lansana Dumbuya arrest , charge and remand in prison do not bode well for post- conflict Sierra Leone. What this means is that evetuthing that had been done since the end of the war to strengthen democracy in Sierra Leone have gone to waste.
The handling of Lansana Dumbuya’s case has become emblematic of broader tensions between political expression and state authority in Sierra Leone. The dispute unfolds against a backdrop of lingering skepticism about electoral legitimacy, deep partisan divides, and concerns over the robustness of democratic institutions.
When the judiciary asserts greater lack of independence and is perceived as aligned with political interests will have significant implications for Sierra Leone’s democratic trajectory, particularly as the next general election approaches. But the SLPP do not care. President Bio is confident that he will continue being a thief and get away with it again.
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