According to usually very reliable sources in Freetown,fear has
gripped the top leadership of the ruling SLPP after the official announcement
this week by APC Secretary General Victor Foh that peace has now returned to his
party which, translated, means all court cases pending between APC members are
now null and void.
This also means former litigants like Mohamed Bangura, Serry Kamal
and Eddie Turay are now firmly back in the APC fold, ready to help galvanise the
masses in favour of their party, the largest opposition party in the
country.This development, our sources say, has thrown the SLPP into a panic mode
beacuse a united and strong APC means the ruling party will never get 55% of the
vote to get immediate victory come the July 28 polls and would have to face a
run off with either the APC or the PMDC. And a run off is one thing they dont
want to face as as it definitely would mean the end of their political
aspirations.
Political pundits also say that one of the former litigants, Eddie
Turay, is a formidable, charismatic and experienced politician who would employ
his political skills to help clinch an APC victory. He was the APC presidential
candidate in the 1996 election which president Kabbah won. Many people admired
his courage and determination at a time when chances of an APC victory were very
slim. The SLPP, out of power for many years, got massive support from the voters
many of whom were too young or were not yet born when the SLPP was in power in
the 60s.
APC supporters are expected to march in the major towns of the
country tomorrow, Saturday, to celebrate the return of peace to their party.
Photo: APC leader Ernest Bai Koroma, ready to face Berewa
(SLPP).