Sierra Leone Telegraph: 12 July 2022:
The Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Corporate Affairs Commission of Sierra Leone – Prince Bamidele Williams, wrote a letter on 5th July, 2022 addressed to the Company Secretary of the CoPPP, stating that he has dfecided to rescind the registration of the CoPPP. He went on to say in his letter: “We, therefore withdraw our approval for use of the aforementioned prohibited names and ask that the Certificate of Incorporation and Registration be returned to Corporate Affairs Commission.”
Many in Sierra Leone and outside have interpreted this decision as a clear intention by the SLPP government to get rid of a powerful political alliance between the main opposition APC and twelve other parties to put on a concerted and coordinated campaign at the 2023 general and presidential elections.
They are accusing President Bio of using the Corporate Affairs Commission to achieve his party-political objective.
But is the Corporate Affairs Commission justified in rescinding CoPPP’s licence to operate as a registered Limited company? Does the law allow Limited companies to operate as political organs?
CoPPP is not a registered political party and cannot file candidates for elections, nor can it campaign or present itself as a political party. But does the Corporate Affairs Commission have the authority to ban the CoPPP? This is what the letter says. Please let us know what you think:
The prayer of the sitting and current leader” H.E. RTD.BRG.DR. J.M.Bio” the president and commander in chief of the Arm forces in Sierra Leone, already be blessed with the his second term in the state house, by the power of Allah. I believed that the main reasons for the creations of the so-called; COPPP, it is all manipulated by APC, in order to defeats Bio SLPP comes 2023. This is my talk of show, APC hates to be call” an opposition party” but as long as you don’t do and perform the right thing, this opposition position will remains for a very long time believe it or not. Can I repeat it?, the 70s are no longer exists, to slaughter animals in the name of SLPP some one will just shouted don’t kill me SLPP, that one is over. NPRC kicked APC out of power in the last week of April 1992. Even the party people themselves were not expecting to retain power any longer, but may God have mercy on the soul of late Pres. Tejan Kabba, a real democracy leader or else, APC could have never smell power again in Sierra Leone.
Can you remember APC allegedly criticizes Bio candidate, at the time saying” you don’t have to trust him because he(Bio) betrayed his Bos, Capt. Strasser and overthrew him?”, at the same time APC brought Capt. Strasser to the national TV, pressing him to talk ill about candidate Bio in 2018 presidential campaign year. Now today’s strategy is to mobilize Jr parties though no candidates been selected yet, or else they have him in secret. The former life chairman for APC never apologize to the nation after leaving office, instead he only did it for the APC party members, he’s behavior is unheard off. I think that he was a Pres. for the whole Sierra Leone not only part of it, we are totally disappointed at him, after promising to run the country as a business concerns. I am glad that the retired defense minister” Paolo Conteh had washed his from politics after he being betrayed by APC, left him a lone to suffered, that was their wishes to remove him from consideration. Comes 2023 presidential elections, the voters knew what to do. Salam Alaikum. May Allah bless mama Sa/Lone.
COPPP is responsible for their own downfall by choosing to go to bed with one of the major political parties against the other. They could have been a more credible organisation if they were not working in partnership with the APC against the government.
The banning of CoPPP comes as no surprise. The Paopa dictatorship will stop at nothing in strengthening and prolonging its grip on power. Whether its attempt to stymie CoPPP’s operations or indeed put paid to its very existence is legitimate or not is really beside the point. In a country where the legal system is mostly independent in name only, the all too powerful executive arm of government is the alpha and omega of all things legitimate – it determines what is lawful and what is not, what should exist and what should not. Killing CoPPP in this case is what the Almighty Paopa and its dear Leader have decreed. The law is a mere tool, a cat’s paw, designed to do the dirty political job of proscription by giving it a much-needed veneer of legitimacy. Just to keep up appearances of democracy and the rule of law.
That said, Bio and his regime should bear in mind that electoral politics has its own logic and reason that those who wield political power do not always understand. This is because elections always have the potential to spring surprises. The best-laid plans of mice and men often go pear-shaped.
It is increasingly obvious that Bio is striving to prevent a regime change through his instrumentalization of institutions and intimidation of opposition leaders.