Sierra Leone: Observers demand apology for Mahama

Election observers in the just-ended Sierra Leonean elections are demanding an apology from the losing party for accusing former President John Mahama of spearheading an international conspiracy to effect a regime change.

Mr Mahama was accused by the All People’s Congress (APC) of influencing the elections in favour of opposition leader, Julius Maada Bio who was sworn in as new President yesterday despite an ongoing challenge of the results by the ruling party’s candidate Samura Kamara, who alleges irregularities.

Speaking to Class news, an observer in the elections, Simon Eyram Tsike-Sossah questioned why Sierra Leoneans will want to smear the former president despite his sacrifice to ensure a successful poll.

He explained that there was a video in circulation in which Mr Mahama went to Mr Bio’s home and someone requested that the meeting should be held behind closed doors but “there wasn’t a follow up of the video to show what briefing they gave the press after that” and the video does not show any conspiracy to rig elections.

He indicated that: “Sierra Leoneans are not happy about the development and feel sorry. The Director of Action Aid called and apologised and said ‘this is not us, Sierra Leone. This is not what we will do…we have been helped more than once by Ghana and we don’t think that this is fair to you (Ghana) and we apologise’”.

He said for the “greater Sierra Leone this is just a last minute perhaps APC desperation to try and a reason why they should not leave power”.

For him if there was “anyone sent to rig an election it would not be and should not be a former President of Ghana”.

He emphasised that the allegations were “unfair” and “as the dust settles in Sierra Leone we will need a government spokesperson to apologise to Ghanaians over this but that was false and that was not true”.