Sierra Leone News: RUFP in Political Crisis
By Stephen V. Lansana
Some grand chief patron members of the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP) are in disagreement over the outcome of the October convention.
The intraparty party conflict has intensified following the nomination of Madam Gbandi Jemba Ngobeh as the party presidential candidate and her running mate Ansumana M.P. Fowai.
“The ruling All People’s Congress (APC) has given money to some aggrieved members of the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP) to unconstitutional elect someone as the presidential aspirant for the forthcoming election,” the National Chairman and Leader of RUFP, Mr Raymond Kartewu alleged.
Mr Kartewu told Premier News on Friday February 2, 2018, that the nomination of Gbandi Jemba Ngobeh as the party presidential candidate by National Electoral Commission (NEC) is unconstitutional. “According to the electoral laws in the country, it is the National Chairman of the party and the Secretary General that nominate the presidential candidate and his/her running mate. But this provision was not followed in the nomination of the RUFP,” he said.
Earlier, the RUFP have formed a coalition with Peace and Liberation Party (PLP), People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Citizens Democratic Party (CDP). But some senior members of the RUFP denounced the action taken by the Chairman and Leader Raymond Katewu and his executive. Some of the members are Andrew Kambay, James S. Cole, George V. Ngobeh, Christopher Allieu, Sidie Koroma, Alimamy D. Conteh, Amara V. Fomba and Ansumana M.P. Fowai.
According to the National Chairman and Leader, some of the aggrieved members unceremoniously defected to NGC while others joined APC without resigning.
“Those that went to the APC have teamed up with the presidential candidate of the APC, Dr. Samura Kamara for them to disfigure this coalition,” he said, adding “Currently, as I speak, the presidential candidate of APC has empowered those defectors. He has given them money for them to go against the coalition.”
He said while they were trying to elect Alhaji Musa Tarawally as the presidential candidate for the coalition in the National Delegate Conference held in Magboroka last month, the aggrieved members met with our Vice Chairman and Leader of RUFP and they formed their own team, adding that they even held a meeting that was unconstitutional. He said it is only the Steering Committee of the Party that is supposed to hold meeting of such nature.
“The day when we were nominating Musa Tarawally, the deputy Chairman and Leader of RUFP came to me and said that he and cross-section of RUFP members are just coming from a meeting with the presidential aspirant of APC and he gave about Le38 million to withdraw the nomination of Musa Tarawally. But I told them thatI will not part of their illegal arrangement,” he alleged.
He said that the party presidential candidate and her running mate [Ansumana M.P. Fowai] were part of the resolutions that were agreed upon to join the coalition.
“The status of madam Gbandi Jemba Ngobeh as the party Presidential Candidate and her running mate [Ansumana M.P. Fowai] is not legitimate. The Electoral laws states that it is the National Chairman of the Party, and the Secretary General that should endorse the presidential candidate and his/her running mate. “But our signatures are not on the nomination form. So, I went there and asked NEC why they endorsed the RUFP candidates without their knowledge. But NEC said that they will endorse anybody. Besides, they are not able to identify legitimate members or illegitimate members of political parties. So, if we do not believe in the process, let us take the matter to supreme court.”
He said the he later went to PPRC and informed them about what had happened, but PPRC told him that NEC is the one that has the mandate to do nomination.
He said, “We have met with the two legitimate bodies. So, I have met with my lawyer, and I am going to file in a petition today on the nomination of the party presidential candidate and her running mate [Ansumana M.P. Fowai].”
He said that he believes in democracy and therefore, he is expecting the APC to also believe in democracy. “It is not democratic for one political party to try to divide another political party,” he said.