By Abubakarr Bah
Presidential candidate of the People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) has accused the ruling All People's Congress (APC) of using money to disunite his party.
Charles Francis Margai told Politico that he was surprised to have learnt that the Koroma administration was “fishing his members with money and employment opportunities”. He said “they had wanted to fish all my members and disintegrate my party but thanks to God the PMDC is more united and stronger than before.”
Margai, who backed Ernest Bai Koroma in the 2007 runoff polls, said that he did not know that by doing so he was supporting “a new wine in old bottle”. He claimed that “there is no difference between the current APC and the former APC” before defending his endorsement of Koroma five years ago which he said was to bridge the tribal gap in the country. He however observed that “tribalism has seriously raised its ugly head in the Koroma administration than any other government in Sierra Leone”.
The PMDC presidential candidate said that although he had established “a rapprochement” with his former ally during his mother’s funeral in Makeni, he should not be given a second term because “Ernest Bai Koroma has failed the people of Sierra Leone”.
The PMDC presidential candidate called on Sierra Leoneans to vote him for president on November 17, assuring that if he won the first thing he would do was to “restore” discipline and the rule of law in the country.
“Lawlessness and indiscipline are eating deep into the country’s development fabric” he said.
Meanwhile, Secretary General of the All People's Congress, Victor Bockarie Foh, said his party was concerned with winning the elections at the first ballot and not allegations of his party using money to disunite the PMDC.
“We are not concerned about that. What we are concerned about now is winning the elections at first round. I am presently at a rally in Moyamba with huge crowds. The people have spoken and President Koroma is winning the elections at the first round,” the party scribe stated.
Mr. Foh also dismissed allegations that the APC government had been the most tribalistic administration in Sierra Leone saying, “let’s go back to history and look at the era of the Margais”. He said the Koroma administration represented all regions of the country.
“I am a typical Mende man who is more Mende than Charles Margai but I am in the APC,” he said, arguing that the APC party had members from all tribes in the country.
