By Kamalo
The disturbing descent of Sierra Leone’s political discourse into outright hostility and veiled authoritarianism has reached an alarming threshold. When senior figures within the ruling establishment openly express a desire for the annihilation, political or otherwise, of the opposition, silence is no longer an option. Recently, the Deputy Minister of Information under President Julius Maada Bio, Abdel Aziz Bawoh, popularly known as KakaScatter, reportedly voiced a shocking wish that the opposition All Peoples’ Congress should “die” or that its supporters be wiped out. Not long after, the National Chairman of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party, Sahr Batilo Jimmy Songa, also publicly echoed a similarly dangerous sentiment, declaring with chilling certainty, “No APC, no APC, no APC again in this country.” As if that were not troubling enough, the leader of SLPP, who is also President of the Republic, Julius Maada Bio, aggravated the situation in Matru Jong, Bonthe District, during the official opening of his party office. The President’s remarks allegedly implying a bad wish for APC followers in his home district left the opposition, civil society groups, and well-meaning Sierra Leoneans to think that, perhaps, the First Gentleman was pleased over the rhetoric of his junior Paopa operatives, and may be patting them on the back with appreciative voices. Though the president’s remarks appear to have been flagged as mistranslated or misinterpreted from the Mende Language to Krio, for the opposition APC, however, all of the remarks are not careless expressions from obscure individuals. They are powerful voices within the hierarchy of the ruling party. Their words carry weight, and signal intent. It is believed that in a fragile democracy like Sierra Leone’s, such pronouncements must be treated not as casual rhetoric, but as dangerous political messaging, if not outright policy posturing.History has shown, time and again, that when those in power begin to dehumanize or delegitimize their political opponents, it is often a precursor to democratic erosion. It must be bored in mind that what begins as inflammatory speech can quickly morph into systemic repression. What starts as political bravado can end in the dismantling of pluralism itself.To be clear enough, a political environment where ruling party elites express hostility toward the very existence of opposition parties is not democracy, but the seedbed of one-party rule. It reflects a mindset that views dissent not as a constitutional right, but as an obstacle to be crushed. This is the unmistakable language of intolerance, the logic of authoritarianism dressed in partisan colors. Behind the scenes allegedly lies an ominous plan to kill the opposition APC by hook or crook. The signs are glaring, evident in the manner Maada Bio’s administration is handling the legit democratic concerns of the opposition APC, the issues surrounding the governance boycott, in particular, and many others that are of democratic and national welfare by extension.Even more troubling is the deafening silence, or selective muteness, of institutions mandated to safeguard democratic conduct. The Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC), which should act as an impartial referee in the political arena, appears conspicuously absent in the face of these incendiary declarations. Its inaction raises uncomfortable questions: Is neutrality being sacrificed on the altar of political expediency? Is the rulebook only enforced against the opposition?One cannot ignore the glaring double standard. Were such statements uttered by figures within the APC, it is almost certain that swift punitive measures would follow. It would either be heavy fines from the PPRC, summons by the Sierra Leone Police, or investigations at the Criminal Investigation Department, and perhaps the hurried construction of charges to set an example. Yet when similar or worse rhetoric emanates from the ruling camp, the system falls strangely silent.This selective enforcement is not just unfair, it is corrosive. It erodes public trust, weakens institutional credibility, and sends a dangerous signal that the rules of engagement in Sierra Leone’s democracy are neither consistent nor impartial.Democracy cannot survive in an atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and institutional bias. It demands tolerance, accountability, and above all, respect for political plurality. The opposition is not an enemy of the state; it is an essential pillar of democratic governance. To wish it away either by words or by action, is to wish away democracy itself.If Sierra Leone is to avoid sliding into the dark corridors of authoritarian rule, then such rhetoric must be unequivocally condemned, and those responsible must be held accountable, regardless of political affiliation. Anything less would be a betrayal of the democratic ideals the nation claims to uphold.The time for complacency is over. The warning signs are no longer subtle. They are loud, public, and impossible to ignore.