By Septimus Senessie in Kono
On Sunday night thousands poured out on the streets of Koidu, the headquarters of the eastern Sierra Leonean district of Kono jubilating after it emerged that President Ernest Bai Koroma had chosen his current Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana as his running-mate for a second term.
Sam-Sumana is from the district.
The District Secretary-General of the governing All People's Congress, Tamba Richard Fillie said the announcement came “at the right time” amid uncertainty and apprehension as to whether or not he would be retained for the position.
He described Sam-Sumana as “the light and builder of the broken bridge among the people of Kono district” and called on the people of Kono to support him to succeed in his second term in office. He lost the Kono votes when he was first chosen in 2007.
Jubilations continued up to Monday with people chanting. However, in an interview with Politico the district Secretary General of the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party, SLPP Aiah Prince Konnoh Fomba said they did not feel threatened by the reappointment of Sam-Sumana as president Koroma's running-mate. He argued that Sam Sumana had served as Vice President for five years and had done nothing for the district to convince his people to vote for the APC.
Fomba said the VP had over the years failed the people of Kono as he had “nothing to show” in the district. He said the SLPP would win all eight parliamentary seats, “clear” the district and city councils and vote for Julius Maada Bio as the next president of the country.
He urged his party supporters to stay out of violence and provide for peaceful elections.
(c) Politico 02/10/12
