BY KABS KANU
The ruling All People’s Congress (APC ) has shifted gears to a more heightened state of strategization, sensitization and readiness for Sierra Leone’s crucial presidential, legislative and council elections to be held next year.
In the party’s determination to win the elections once again, the National Advisory Council (NAC) met today to set into place machinery to ensure that its modus operandi and strategies conformed with the new boundary delimitation and reconfiguration of constituencies.
Talking to COCORIOKO Publisher, Leeroy Wilfred Kabs-Kanu shortly after the all-important NAC Meeting today, Ambassador Yansaneh said that the APC will go all out to ensure that it operates under the ambit of the new political configuration of boundaries , wards and constituencies not only to avoid the mistakes of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP ) but to make sure that APC supporters all over the country know and do the right thing to ensure victory for the party in the March 7, 2018 elections.
Today’s NAC meeting decided that all regional conventions will be held under the new configuration which has resulted in the Northern Province now being divided into two —North West, comprising Port Loko, Kambia and Karena Districts ) and North, comprising Bombali, Falaba, Koinadugu and Tonkolili Districts ) , and the creation of 20 new constituencies.
The APC will be also ensuring that they have new executives in all the 511 wards.
The party will also be fighting to have its constituency, district and regional elections between now and August 30. All the wards are within the Chiefdoms and constituencies ,so the new constituencies have created new wards and all these wards will come under the constituency arrangements.
Ambassador Yansaneh told COCORIOKO that beginning from Monday the APC will be launching massive sensitization drives all over the country to enlighten comrades on the new configuration to forestall confusion about the new boundaries and constituencies. They will be told exactly where they belong to ensure that they vote right during the party elections and the forthcoming General elections.
Ambassador Yansaneh aimed a dig at those trying to push the executive and he stated that the APC , as a party that thrives on legality and sound strategies, “wants to ensure that we operate under the ambit of the new configuration for another successful 4 for 4 next year. ”
The APC will be setting up committees to go out into the nation to educate the people about the new Chiefdoms and constituencies. “We have marked out the mechanism for the people to understand” , he added.
THE CONVENTION
The interview then came to the present hot button issue of the convention, which had seen comrades in the diaspora fearing that it might be postponed to a latter date , perhaps October. Ambassador Yansaneh was asked to explain what Cocorioko should tell comrades in the diaspora who want to start buying their plane tickets to attend the convention slated for September 5 and 6.
In response, Ambassador Yansaneh advised them to set a two-week target of staying in Sierra Leone for the convention but he assured this newspaper that if there is any postponement at all, it will not go beyond September 15, because the party wants to make sure that the convention remains within that time limit.
Ambassador Yansaneh disclosed that there will be 1, 407 delegates in all who will take the decisions geared towards victory for the APC in 2018.
The APC will also invite 5,000 party stalwarts to the convention “because We want the rank and file of the party to be part of the process. ” Various committees responsible for finance, transportation and entertainment will be set up, Dr. Yansaneh indicated.
Ambassador Yansaneh assured that the diaspora will not be left out and that diasporans, who are in Freetown, will be part of oversight committees during the massive sensitization and processes leading to the convention.
“Those coming from the diaspora for the convention must be ready to spend at least two weeks . The convention will not go beyond the 15th of September but it will all depend on how successful the tasks we will be setting out to accomplish within the weeks leading to the convention “, Dr. Yansaneh re-emphasized.
Ambassador Yansaneh assured all comrades of the APC to remain confident of victory and not to become complacent but ensure that they all play their respective roles effectively to make victory certain in 2018.
COCORIOKO WILL BE INTERVIEWING THE DIASPORA AND ELECTIONS COORDINATOR , COMRADE LEONARD BALOGUN KOROMA, TOMORROW ON MORE MATTERS REGARDING THE APC’S PREPARATION FOR 2018.
CONTINUE to rely on COCORIOKO, Sierra Leone’s biggest and most widely read newspaper , for all the juicy and mouth-watering details about events leading to the convention and the 2018 elections.
