By Ibrahim Alusine Kamara (Kamalo)
Sierra Leone stands today at a dangerous inflection point where the language of democracy is loudly proclaimed, yet its substance is being steadily hollowed out. What began as a disputed electoral outcome in 2023 has now evolved into something far more insidious one could link to a creeping normalization of political maneuvering that threatens to erode the very foundation of constitutional governance.Let us be blunt. What many described yesterday as an “electoral coup” is no longer a matter of rhetoric, it is a lived political reality for a growing number of citizens who feel dispossessed of their mandate. Today, that reality appears to be mutating into a more advanced and calculated assault on democratic norms. If this trajectory is not arrested, rebuilding public trust in governance may prove as arduous as reconstructing a nation from ashes.The Agreement of National Unity (ANU) was supposed to be the bridge over troubled waters. It is a mechanism to restore confidence, foster inclusion, and chart a path away from the shadows of electoral controversy. The Tripartite Committee it birthed was not a ceremonial body, but a critical instrument designed to confront the very flaws that undermined the 2023 elections. Its mandate was clearly to identify the rot, prescribe reforms, and ensure non-recurrence. Yet today, that process lies in tatters. The opposition All Peoples’ Congress (APC), in its March 18, 2026 declaration, did not mince words. It accused the government of bad faith, calculated delays, and outright obstruction. Whether one agrees with the APC or not, these are not trivial allegations, they strike at the heart of governance integrity. A unity agreement that exists only on paper is worse than no agreement at all; it breeds cynicism and deepens division.The APC’s decision to withdraw from governance activities is itself a drastic measure, one that underscores the depth of the crisis. But even in boycott, the rule of law must remain sacrosanct. And this is precisely where the situation at the Freetown City Council (FCC) takes a troubling turn.The reported move by SLPP councillors to install an “Acting Mayor” in the absence of Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr is not just controversial, it is legally questionable. The Local Government Act 2022, by all credible interpretations, does not recognize such a position. It allows for selection/appointment of a councillor to preside over meetings in the absence of elected leadership, yes, but it does not confer executive mayoral authority on an unelected substitute.This distinction is not academic; it is fundamental. To blur that line is to tamper with the democratic mandate itself. A mayor is not a placeholder to be swapped at political convenience. The office derives its legitimacy directly from the people, not from intra-council arrangements or partisan calculations. To suggest otherwise is to reduce democratic choice to a procedural inconvenience.Even voices from within the ruling party’s broader ranks have sounded the alarm. Concerns are not merely partisan, they are constitutional. When lawmakers, top local council officeholders, former mayors, and legal minds converge on a single point, that the law does not support the creation of an“Acting Mayor”, it is not opposition propaganda, it is a warning, and it should be heeded.If governance boycotts are met with legal improvisation, then the cure becomes more dangerous than the disease. The response to political disagreement cannot be the bending, or outright bypassing, of established law. That path leads not to stability, but to institutional decay. There are lawful mechanisms for continuity. The Deputy Mayor, the Chief Administrator, and in extreme cases, constitutionally sanctioned presidential intervention with parliamentary oversight—these are the safeguards deliberately embedded in the system. To sidestep them is to invite chaos under the guise of order.Sierra Leone’s democracy was not cheaply won. It is the product of struggle, sacrifice, and a collective yearning for accountable governance. To now see it strained by ego, expediency, and partisan brinkmanship is both tragic and unacceptable.This is not a moment for political theatrics. It is a moment for restraint, for integrity, and above all, for dialogue. The stakes are too high for anything less.If those entrusted with power continue down a path of weaponizing institutions, stretching laws beyond recognition, and dismissing legitimate concerns, the consequences will not be confined to party lines, but they will engulf the nation. Democracy, once fractured, is not easily repaired. And Sierra Leone cannot afford to learn that lesson the hard way.”