Four APC Members File High Court Suit Over Tonkolili Election Irregularities

Four APC Members File High Court Suit Over Tonkolili Election Irregularities

Four members of the All People's Congress (APC) from Constituency 054 in Tonkolili District have launched a legal challenge in the High Court of Sierra Leone, seeking urgent judicial intervention to annul recent ward rerun elections over alleged procedural breaches and widespread irregularities.

The plaintiffs—John A. Tholley and Aminata K. Kamara of Ward 180 (Bongay Town), alongside Lamin Osman Koroma and Femi P. Taylor of Ward 181 (Masingbi Town)—filed an Originating Summons arguing that the rerun elections conducted on July 25, 2026, were executed unlawfully.

Central to the dispute is an appeal lodged with the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) on July 6, 2026, challenging a July 1, 2026 ruling by the Independent Elections Complaint Board (IECB). The plaintiffs maintain that proceeding with the July 25 elections directly breached a July 9, 2026 directive issued by the PPRC and violated provisions of both the APC Constitution 2022 and the APC Internal Elections Rules and Regulations 2025.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the ward rerun elections null and void, mandate the formal production and publication of the Final Voters Register and Results, and compel the PPRC to deliver a definitive ruling on their pending appeal. Furthermore, they seek interim and interlocutory injunctions to restrain the APC from recognizing any declared winners or advancing to district-level elections in Tonkolili until the underlying dispute is fully adjudicated.

Appearing before High Court No. 1 in Freetown, counsel for the plaintiffs, S.I. Koroma, argued that electoral activities in the contested wards must be stayed to preserve procedural fairness and protect the plaintiffs' constitutional rights. He urged the presiding judge to grant an interlocutory injunction to maintain the status quo pending the PPRC's decision.

In opposition, lead defense counsel Brima Koroma submitted that the balance of convenience heavily favored allowing the electoral process to continue. He contended that the plaintiffs had failed to establish sufficient legal grounds for injunctive relief and warned that halting internal elections would disrupt the party's broader operational timelines and political stability.

With hearings continuing at the High Court in Freetown, the court is reviewing the submissions, with a ruling on the interlocutory application expected shortly.

The outcome holds significant implications for internal democracy within the APC and the broader governance framework of Constituency 054.