Since multi-party democracy returned to Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has repeatedly splintered over succession issues, a problem that senior party officials fear will recur before the 2028 elections.
The bitter run-up to President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah’s departure, as well as the resulting split that cost the SLPP the 2007 election, serves as a cautionary tale. Even the 2018 election saw a significant rupture with the rise of the National Grand Coalition (NGC) from within the SLPP ranks, though the party eventually regained power.
With President Julius Maada Bio currently serving his final term as the party’s flagbearer, the succession issue has risen to the forefront of SLPP politics. Multiple camps have formed, and a large number of former and current officials are openly or quietly positioning themselves to run for the flagbearership.
The SLPP is currently reviewing its constitution, and members are keeping a close eye out for provisions aimed at managing eligibility in order to avoid destructive infighting and secure the party’s prospects for 2028. The SLPP’s 14th National Delegates Conference, held in Freetown from July 30 to August 1, 2025, highlighted the fault lines. New national executive members were elected in a process that many observers believe reflected bargaining among competing factions rather than a cohesive strategy.
The deputy chairman, the national women’s leader, and the party’s public relations officer appear to have gravitated around a movement tied to First Lady Fatima Bio known as “EBEMA GBI.” Supporters speculate that the First Lady’s campaign is positioning her as a potential flagbearer, which has heightened tensions within the party. On the other side is the Radical Inclusion Movement (RIM), led by Chief Minister Dr David Sengeh and supported by the party’s chairman and Young Generation leader. RIM’s platform and organisation have attracted younger supporters and officials who advocate for increased participation and renewal in the SLPP.
Meanwhile, a group known as the “old guard” — including Jacob Jusu Saffa, Professor David Francis, Dr Mohamed Sidie Tunis, Alhaji Musa Tarawally, Osman Alpha Timbo, Dr Alie Kabba, and John Oponjo Benjamin — continues to wield power and represent yet another bloc with its own succession preferences.
Several government officials, including Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, ministers, and senior officials like Alhaji Dr Kandeh K. Yumkella, Timothy Kabba, Francis Ben Kaifala, Dr Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, and Andrew Jayah Kaika, have been identified as potential flagbearer candidates, complicating the situation.
Their ambitions and networks have heightened competition and increased jockeying for control of party structures and delegates.
The internecine conflict has spread beyond elite manoeuvring to the party grassroots, with supporters and sympathisers aligning with opposing camps and expressing growing frustration. Many SLPP members warn that the current fragmentation resembles the dangerous dynamics seen in 2005, and they urge party leaders to use the constitutional review and upcoming internal processes to create clear, inclusive rules that will reduce bruising splits.
As the 2028 election approaches, the SLPP must make a strategic decision: manage the succession through negotiated, transparent mechanisms that maintain broad unity, or risk repeating past divisions that threaten the party’s hold on power. Party members and observers agree that the coming months will be critical for the SLPP’s future cohesion and electoral prospects.
