A senior member of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), Dr. Richard Konteh, has raised concerns about the actions of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, regarding the signing of the Tripartite Committee Report.

Dr. Konteh’s revelations were made during a recent public address on Liberty Online Television, where he claimed that Dr. Kamara signed the report without the full consent and knowledge of key party members.

According to Dr. Konteh, prior to the signing of the report, the APC party had outlined specific issues that Dr. Kamara was expected to raise during discussions. These concerns, he asserted, were overlooked when Dr. Kamara went ahead and signed the report, which was subsequently submitted to President Julius Maada Bio.

The report, produced by the Tripartite Committee, was supposed to address the divergent views arising from the contentious 2023 elections. Dr. Konteh expressed surprise that Dr. Kamara proceeded with the signing despite an earlier agreement to incorporate these differing opinions into the main body of the report.

“It’s a surprise to me because we met on a Friday, reviewed the 80 recommendations, presented our divergent views, and agreed on where to insert them into the report before it would be signed,” Dr. Konteh explained. He added that the APC believed the Tripartite Committee was established due to the irregularities in the 2023 elections, but expressed frustration that the government side refused to engage in discussions regarding the disputed election results.

Dr. Konteh stated that after their Friday meeting, it was agreed they would reconvene on Monday to finalize the report after the Secretariat incorporated all recommendations, including those submitted by the APC. However, over the weekend, a separate meeting was held with the chief negotiator, leading to the finalized report being presented at State House on Monday, which took him by surprise.

He noted that when he received the draft on Monday, he was in Bo and was informed that the report was ready for signing. Dr. Konteh declined to participate, arguing that the report did not adequately reflect the views of many Sierra Leoneans and key members of the APC.

“I will not sign a report I do not agree with,” Dr. Konteh emphasized, criticizing the entire process and questioning the legitimacy of the report’s conclusions. He expressed disappointment with how the Tripartite Committee’s proceedings unfolded, suggesting that the process did not meet the expectations of transparency and inclusiveness.

Commenting on Dr. Richard Konteh’s concerns raised about the actions of Dr. Samura Kamara with regards the Tripartite Committee’s Report, a concerned APC sympathizer stated (word for word):

“Dr. Conteh, am sorry to say, that both yourself including many other political APC protagonist with the APC party, is coming to an end. Please start looking for job now, instead of politics, because you are among the cabal within the APC that’s inhibiting, distracting, and causing all such of pandemonium within the party. Infact your so-called PHD is indeed questionable. Why can’t you use your PHD elsewhere?, except in politics only. Why?. Why?. Africa is sorry & pathetic. Africans & Sierra Leonean academics do not make good leadership. Because there’s a different between politics and being an academic. Dr. Why can’t you become a farmer, fisherman, Real estate Agent, or a carpenter.

For the reasons are obvious, in politics you get quick access to money and corruption. It’s the plain fact. Dr. Conteh you indeed far away from being the next Sierra Leonean president. Because you do not have any moral high ground…. Dr Conteh you are a disappointment to the people of this great nation, why now that you are telling this scripted story. God will surely punish you.”