
10/08/2025
APC Gliding Towards Power
As Sierra Leone inches closer to the 2028 general elections, political temperatures are rising, and the winds of change are stirring across the nation. The All People's Congress (APC), still reeling from its 2018 and 2023 electoral defeats, appears poised to make a strong comeback. Yet, from Kailahun to Kambia, the murmurs are clear: tiptoeing will not be enough. If the APC truly wants to unseat the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), it must evolve beyond old tactics and embrace a bold, strategic, and inclusive approach. Simply waiting for SLPP to stumble is not a winning strategy. The APC must act—and act decisively.
The Illusion of Automatic Victory:
There’s a dangerous assumption within certain APC circles—that the SLPP’s missteps, rising economic hardship, and growing public frustration will automatically translate into votes for the APC in 2028. But this is a political illusion, not a strategy.
Yes, Sierra Leoneans are frustrated. Prices are high, unemployment is rampant, and trust in government is fragile. But frustration alone does not guarantee a vote for the opposition. Sierra Leoneans are no longer easily swayed by party colors or historical legacies. What they crave is vision, direction, and deliverables. If the APC offers nothing new, the electorate may well choose continuity—or look beyond the two-party system altogether.
The Need to Do More; and Do it Now:
The APC must come to terms with an uncomfortable truth: it is not enough to criticize SLPP failures. The time has come for a serious internal transformation. This means, rebuilding internal unity after years of division and factionalism, presenting a credible leadership team with fresh faces, not just recycled power-seekers, delivering a clear, realistic and inclusive policy platform that speaks to the needs of everyday Sierra Leoneans—especially youth and women and demonstrating a commitment to national cohesion, not just party victory. In essence, the APC must become the change it promises to deliver.
The Alliance Imperative:
If the APC is serious about reclaiming State House in 2028, it must move beyond the arrogance of major-party dominance and embrace coalition-building. The political landscape in Sierra Leone is shifting. Voter loyalty is not what it once was, and smaller political parties are gaining ground—not necessarily in size, but in influence and symbolism.
Parties such as the National Grand Coalition (NGC), the Coalition for Change (C4C), and other emerging platforms may not command huge numbers independently, but they represent critical swing voters in key regions. Forming genuine, respectful, and transparent alliances with these smaller parties could be the key to tipping the electoral balance.
More importantly, alliances must not be transactional or cosmetic. These coalitions should be grounded in shared values, power-sharing agreements, and joint policy goals. The days of “using and discarding” smaller parties are over. The new politics demands cooperation, compromise, and coalition-building that prioritize the national interest over personal ambition.
A Manifesto of the People, Not the Politicians:
The APC must also radically change the way it engages with citizens. The old model of top-down manifesto writing no longer works. For its 2028 campaign, the APC must go to the people—into the villages, the markets, the schools, the slums, and the diaspora. It must listen more than it speaks and craft a people-centered agenda that reflects grassroots priorities.
Imagine a manifesto that includes, realistic economic policies that address inflation and job creation, a blueprint for sustainable energy and infrastructure, a new deal for youth employment and skills training, and a commitment to reforming public institutions and ensuring justice for all, not just the powerful.
This is the kind of bold vision Sierra Leoneans will rally behind—not empty slogans or tribal campaigning.
Rebranding and Rebuilding Trust:
One of APC’s biggest challenges remains trust. Many voters remember the corruption allegations, internal wrangling, and complacency of the past. If the APC wants to win back disillusioned citizens, it must do the hard work of rebranding itself as a new kind of opposition—responsible, united, and ready to lead.
That means clean leadership. It means engaging women, youth, and professionals in decision-making roles. It means walking the talk on transparency, accountability, and national unity. It means replacing entitlement with empathy and arrogance with action.
The SLPP may be vulnerable in 2028, but if the APC looks like just another version of what it criticizes, the people will not return.
A New Political Culture Is Emerging:
2028 will not be won in the courts or by social media bravado. It will be won on authentic connection, bold ideas, and strategic alliances. It will be won by those who recognize that Sierra Leoneans are no longer impressed by big rallies and tribal rhetoric. They want water, electricity, dignity, jobs, education, and peace. They want a future they can believe in.
The APC must align itself with this new consciousness—or risk becoming politically irrelevant, no matter how long it tiptoes.
The APC still has time to get it right—but not forever. The 2028 elections will be here before long, and Sierra Leoneans are watching, waiting, and weighing their options. To defeat the SLPP, the APC must do more than oppose—it must propose, perform, and partner.
It must rise above the old ways and present itself as a truly transformed party—ready not just to take power, but to take responsibility.
If the APC wants to win in 2028, tiptoeing won’t do. It’s time to march—firmly, boldly, and together—with Sierra Leone at the center of the mission.
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