PPRC Rules on Multiple Petitions Against APC Internal Elections Process

PPRC Rules on Multiple Petitions Against APC Internal Elections Process

The Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) on 23 December 2025 issued directives on objections raised against the All People’s Congress (APC) Internal Elections Rules and Regulations, following hearings involving several party members and aspirants.

The objections were filed by nine petitioners between August and September 2025, challenging various provisions of the APC’s gazetted Internal Elections Rules and Regulations. The Commission received written responses from the APC on 8 October 2025 and later held hearings on 20 November 2025 in line with its mandate under the Political Parties Act of 2022.

One of the petitioners, Hon. Ibrahim Bundu, raised concerns over access to reports from the 2023 National Delegates Convention, financial statements, and the implementation status of the Justice Adrian Fisher forensic audit recommendations.

During the hearing, the Commission noted that the documents had not been formally requested from the APC National Secretariat. It therefore directed Hon. Bundu to submit a formal request, while advising the party to strengthen its internal grievance-handling mechanisms.

Hon. Alimamy Coleson Turay challenged Section 16 of the rules, describing the presidential nomination fee of NLe 100,000 as excessive and discriminatory. After deliberation, the Commission ruled that the fee was consistent with previous APC practices and upheld the provision.

Another petitioner, Brima Michael Turay, objected to several sections of the rules, including membership requirements, nomination procedures, and the legitimacy of the APC’s 2022 Constitution.

The Commission ruled that while the provisions were restrictive, they were not discriminatory and were consistent with the Constitution of Sierra Leone. However, it directed that the notice period for constituency venue selection be extended from seven to ten days.

Sahr Philip Mani also challenged the five-year membership requirement and the legitimacy of the APC executive.

The Commission reaffirmed that the Transitional Interim Independent Elections Management Committee was lawfully mandated to conduct the 2023 National Delegates Convention and dismissed the petition in its entirety.

Objections by Ibrahim Bai Tarawallie and Emmanuel Sahr Suma regarding student delegate representation were resolved by consensus, with the Commission affirming that additional student delegates would serve as deputies for the five regions. Meanwhile, Musa Beretay Esq. formally withdrew his objection after accepting the APC’s response.

In its overall findings, the PPRC noted a recurring tendency by party members to bypass internal party mechanisms and emphasized the need to exhaust internal processes before seeking external intervention. The Commission’s directives leave the bulk of the APC’s Internal Elections Rules and Regulations intact, with only minor amendments.