Following recent announcement by the National Secretary General of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), Lansana Dumbuya Esq., that former Vice President Samuel Sam Sumana is not qualified to contest as flagbearer despite being readmitted as a member of the party, the indigenes of Kono District have vowed to reject APC in the 2028 national elections unless the erstwhile Vice President is reinstated unconditionally.

Most of the Kono indigenes who spoke to our Regional Correspondent at the weekend expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment being meted out to former Vice President Sam Sumana by his own political party.

The Kono indigenes accused many stalwarts in the APC of deliberately undermining the reinstatement of Chief Sam Sumana out of fear that if the party creates a level playing field, he will have an edge over most of the intending flagbearer aspirants who are notably Northerners with little political influence in the Southern and Eastern Regions as compared to the former Vice President.

“Unless the APC’s decision to disqualify Chief Sam Sumana from contesting as flag-bearer aspirant for the 2028 elections is reversed, the entire Kono District will reject the party in its entirety in the polls,” a senior member of SAM 28 Camp fumed, noting, “We are aware that there are some comrades in the APC playing games to ensure that Chief Sam Sumana is being eliminated from the 2028 flag-bearer contest.”

Many other Kono indigenes our Regional Correspondent interviewed in the district on the recent announcement disqualifying Chief Sam Sumana from the flag-bearer contest unanimously vowed to snub APC at the 2028 polls unless the APC’s National Advisory Committee (NAC) reverses the announcement to allow him participate in the flag-bearer contest.

Meanwhile, The Satellite has gathered that some members of NAC have started dissociating themselves from the Secretary General’s announcement disqualifying Chief Sam Sumana to contest as flag-bearer aspirant in the APC unless in 2033.

Some have reportedly described the announcement as ill-timely and has the propensity to create another problem in the APC at a time when the party is craving for peace and unity among its general membership at home and abroad.