The latest endorsement of the 2018 defeated presidential candidate of the main opposition All People’s Congress party, (APC) Dr. Mathew Wilson Samura Kamara, for a rerun in the 2023 elections by some senior party executives has seemingly created another huge division in the party.

On Friday 8th January this year, Samura Kamara received massive endorsement from some very senior executive members at National, Regional and Parliamentary levels countrywide as the most qualified, fittest, and popular candidate to lead the party into the 2023 general elections.

This took place during his visit to Kambia District to advocate for peace and unity to reign among key stakeholders and grassroots supporters of the party.

Dr Samura Kamara was certified by Diana Konomanyi, a member of the National Advisory Committee (NAC), the party’s second highest decision making body who is also a key stakeholder in the eastern region and his running mate in the 2018 elections, Hon. Cherinoh Ramadan Maju Bah (Chericoco) now APC party Leader in Parliament.

Also, on the trail were some key stakeholders of Kambia District including Dr. Joseph Sam Sesay, Ambassador Ibrahim Sorie Kamara, Hon. Patricia Umu Brown and the Kambia District Chairman, Thamsella Bangura.

However, his endorsement now seems to further deepen the split in the already fragmented party as the endorsers’ action has been widely criticized by some other aggrieved party officials who say such action has the proclivity to not only disadvantage other contenders but also undercut the ongoing peace process in the party.

Hints are that the former party Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament in ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma government, Hon Ibrahim Bundu, has protested the endorsers’ action calling for appropriate action to be taken against them by the current leadership thus recalling the action taken against him for a similar conduct in 2016.

In 2016, Hon Ibrahim Bundu was removed as majority leader in Parliament and Chairman Port Loko District when he declared for the flagbearer position to contest the 2018 elections. Hence called on the current leadership to do the needful in the spirit of fairness and good comradeship since a precedent has already been set.

It is no gainsaying that the party is currently grappling with flagbeaership conflict and a wide range of thorny issues ahead of 2023 elections.