PPRC Steps In as APC Election Petitions Pile Up, Constituency Elections Put on Hold
Freetown, Sierra Leone – The Political Parties Regulation Commission has intervened in the internal election disputes of the All People’s Congress party, extending the deadline for petitions and putting a pause on constituency elections in areas where ward-level results were challenged.
In a letter sent to the APC National Secretary General on March 26, the PPRC revealed that it has been flooded with petitions challenging the decisions of the party’s Independent Elections Complaint Board regarding the February 21 lower-level elections. With the party now having submitted the board’s reports and decisions, the Commission said it will continue accepting petitions until midday on Thursday, April 2.
But perhaps the more immediate impact for party members is this: any constituency where a ward election was petitioned will not hold its scheduled constituency election on Saturday, March 28. Those elections, the Commission made clear, are now on hold.
It’s a move that will likely bring some relief to party faithful who felt their complaints were not properly addressed at the ward level. For others, it means more waiting.
The PPRC has promised to hand over all petitions received by the April 2 deadline to the party secretariat by the close of business that same day. Hearings are then expected to kick off on Tuesday, April 7.
