
Dr. Sama Banya
25 November 2012
She did it in 2007. She robbed us of the result of the Presidential run-off and gave the keys to State House to Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma of the APC.
She had preceded her action in 2007, by announcing the invalidation of the results of 477 voting stations – mostly from Kailahun, Kenema and Pujehun districts, alleging over voting at those stations.
She has never to this day, produced documentary evidence, in support of her allegation of SLPP electoral malpractice in 2007.
Eventually, that sad episode became history. So let us fast forward – 2012.
In preparation for the just concluded elections, Christiana Thorpe sought and obtained Parliamentary approval to automatically nullify the votes of any polling station, which exceeded 100% of the registered voters.
These reports of malpractice have seriously compromised the credibility of the 2012 voting process.
But, as is her usual habit of treating opposition complaints with disdain, after persistent prodding from us, she came out with a press statement in which she dismissed our concerns by the wave of her hand.
In 2007, the NEC did not resume the announcement of the results after closing down on Wednesday September 13.
And then suddenly on September 17, she announced the overall results as I have just stated and gave victory to the APC’s Ernest Bai Koroma.
The opposition SLPP Presidential candidate – Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio had said repeatedly, even before the polls, that we would only accept credible results from the NEC.
And certainly, the results announced by her on Friday evening, are far from credible. President Koroma has already been sworn in to serve a second term.
Faced with this fate accompli, our Presidential candidate has REITERATED THAT WE WOULD NEVER CONCEDE DEFEAT in the present situation.
We are particularly urged to avoid any confrontation with the biased law enforcement agents, who would not hesitate to brutalize opposition supporters as they have already done in a few places.
Maada Bio has directed that, we are to report any cases of assault and molestation to the police, but in the company of local constituency executive members.
So, what are our options in the prevailing circumstances and influencing factors?
Taking to the streets should not even be an option, as we would only provide fodder for the ruling party’s thugs to unleash mayhem in the country.
And what about the courts?
That suggestion must be the joke of the decade. But there must be a solution, and this is where we must trust the leadership of the party as led by Bio, Kadi Sesay and the Executive Council.
Yes, we have been through this before. It is DE’ JAVU!
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