Inside sources say the current situation in the main opposition All People's Congress (APC) party is that the multiple flagbearer aspirants have proposed mergers in order to form strong forces ahead of their National Delegates Conference to be held in Port Loko city this year.

A ccording to inside sources, supporters of Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah and Bai Mahmoud Bangura across the Western Area and the Northern Regions want the two flagbearer aspirants to merge and contest for the party leadership under one umbrella.

Many of the old guard politicians are allegedly backing the proposed merger of Chericoco, as he is fondly known, and Bai Mahmoud, given that both flagbearer aspirants have the highest party support in the Western Area, and the Northwest and Northeast Regions, which gives them an edge over the other flagbearer aspirants.

"Though Dr. Ibrahim Bangura and Lawyer JFK are also trying to merge ahead of the convention, Chericoco and Bai Mahmoud have more political strength in the North and West than all other aspirants," one of the insiders said.

The source noted that the majority of old guard politicians are in strong support of Chericoco becoming their presidential candidate and Bai Mahmoud as running-mate.

A staunt supporter of the Chericoco-Bai Mahmoud camp believes that their next presidential candidate should be a Muslim, given that the previous two leaders - erstwhile Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara- were Christians, respectively.
"It's about time we changed the religious narrative of our party leadership," he stressed