Four nominated local council candidates for the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party in Kailahun District have withdrawn their candidatures for the Saturday 24th June, 2023 local government elections.
They are Bockarie Longay, Sheku B. Kallon, Bockarie D. Kallon and Momoh Kallon.

The four submitted their withdrawal letters dated 6th May, 2023 as candidates for councilors under the APC to the District Election Manager, Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL), Kailahun Town, and copied both APC Kailahun District Chairman and the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC).

According to the Public Election Act of 2022 Section 62(1A), “A candidate may withdraw his nomination by personally delivering to the Returning Officer, a written notice signed by him before the close of nomination,” which they did.

The four candidates, among other things, stated in their resignation letters that they took the decision based on the advice of their people they initially wanted to represent in the Kailahun District Council. They furthered that it was also based on the tribal messages directed against their tribe that warranted their withdrawal.

It could be recalled that the tendering of withdrawal of candidacy letters to ECSL started with two nominated parliamentary candidates, Isata Felicia Wleh Philips and Emmanuel Sahr Yongai under the APC in Kono District, who withdrew their candidatures. The two submitted their withdrawal of candidature letters dated 8th and 9th May, 2023 respectively as parliamentary candidates under the APC to the District Returning Officer, Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, Koidu City, Kono District.

Another withdrawal of nomination as councilor followed in Pujehun District where the candidate gave similar reasons why he withdrew his candidature and resigned from the APC with immediate effect.

This year’s election campaigns are mainly full of endorsements, resignations and defections to the government party leading to the Saturday 24th June.