Sierra Leone Telegraph: 16 October 2017
Amazing supporters of the formidable Alie Kabba Campaign drive, fellow SLPP members, my beloved country women and men: I thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the humbling opportunity to present my vision to you and pursue my national aspirations to lead Sierra Leone.
Our Party convention has now ended. The Flagbearer elections have been concluded in a free, fair, transparent and democratic process. Now we have to accept and respect the verdict of the delegates and come together to move our Party forward to victory.
To this end, I want to warmly congratulate my brother Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio for a strongly fought campaign and clear victory. I also want to congratulate all other contestants for being part of the competitive struggle to sell our ideas and try to represent our Party in the national elections to be held on 7th March 2018.
I must solidly salute all the participating delegates for exercising their inalienable rights to once more re-assert the inviolable maxim that “ultimate power comes from and belongs to the people — and only the people”.
Every SLPP member has to be deservingly proud of the overall conduct of our Party and the fact that we were able to overcome every challenge and achieve victory in unity. Come what may we need to stay together and work together to achieve final victory under the leadership of our newly elected Flagbearer.
Of course I was working and hoping for victory at our just concluded national convention but, as a true democrat and proud SLPP member, I have always prepared to accept any verdict of our Party delegates and to support whoever emerges as winner.
I have constantly maintained that the fight has never been about Alie Kabba; it has always been about the people! The fight for the suffering 99% did not start yesterday and it will not end today.
The vision that I have so passionately articulated and so consistently championed is a vision to make our country a far better place for all of our people — a shining light on the hilltop of Africa.
As long as the root causes of dehumanizing poverty, widening social inequality, mass unemployment and corrosive corruption are not tackled in our beloved Sierra Leone, I will be relentless and steadfast in our quest to build a more just and prosperous society.
In the words of the late US Senator Edward Ted Kennedy, “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”
Let’s maintain peace and unity in our Party as we vigorously campaign over the next few months, in all corners of the country, to take SLPP back to State House with a decisive majority in Parliament.
Along with my supporters at home and in the Diaspora, I plan to put all my organising and mobilising talents at the service of our Party to defeat APC in the first round.
Forward to Victory – One Country, One People. Everyone in, No one out. Everyone up, No one down.
Your Humble Servant,
Alie Kabba
Alie Kabba’s unequivocal endorsement of Bio’s election is indeed to be applauded, given the APC’s massive disinformation campaign that had succeeded in deluding otherwise insightful observers.
A true democrat.