Kpulun Exposed
Elections Observers Network Exposes Maada Kpulun’s Lies.
Other than the SLPP Paopa led government, NGC is the only party that has managed to navigate all the obstacles put in the path of the opposition parties ahead of the 2023 elections. In contrast to the 2018 elections, when 13 political parties contested the elections, in addition to the potential vote rigging and vote suppression measures that the government has put in place, with support of state institutions empowered to safeguard our hard-won peace and democracy, Sierra Leoneans would be alarmed to realise that it is possible that not more than two or three parties may be able to contest the next general elections. NGC’s achievement is therefore not just an achievement for itself, but an achievement for democracy and for the people of Sierra Leone, who must be given a credible choice at the next general election. It is therefore incumbent on all Sierra Leoneans to ensure that our democracy is not further eroded and our country does not descend into a one-party state.
In completing its Lower-Level Elections, the party now has about 10,000 executive members in all 446 wards, 132 constituencies, 16 districts and 5 regions of the country, providing a viable political alternative to the failed policies of the Julius Maada Bio government. It is therefore understandable, why Mr Kpulun is now been given prime time attention by the fourth estate, including the public service broadcaster, SLBC. Brown envelope journalism is a significant contributory cause to our country’s inability to charter a better future of peace and prosperity for all Sierra Leoneans.
Mr Kpulun participated in the Lower-Level Elections process, including National Delegates Conference. On the morning of 30th November 2022, the party was informed that Mr Kpulun and his supporters had filed a petition at PPRC, which prevented the party from holding the remaining District Elections which had been scheduled for the same day. Subsequent Regional elections and the National Delegates Conference, originally scheduled for 8th to 11th December 2022, had to be deferred until PPRC made a ruling about these petitions.
PPRC made its ruling on 6th December 2022, which favoured Mr Kpulun and his supporters and it resulted in the exclusion of members of the party who were fully paid up and registered in Western Rural, Kenema and Falaba, who were not recognised by the PPRC decision and therefore had their voting rights suppressed. Notwithstanding these setbacks, the party proceeded to conduct Regional Delegates elections, held its National Women’s and National Youth conferences on 9th and 10th December 2022 and confirmed the Delegates List at a meeting of the National Executive Committee on 11th December 2022, ahead of the National Delegates Conference on 12th and 13th December 2022. Mr Kpulun and his supporters participated fully in the Women’s and Youth conferences and celebrated the success of the newly elected National Women’s Leader.
The National Delegates Conference was managed by the party’s Independent Elections Committee and it was chaired by former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Oliver Somasa. Mr Somasa and his team complied with the rules and regulations that had been stipulated for the National Delegates Conference. Among concessions made to Mr Kpulun was the decision by the National Executive Committee of the party on 11 December 2022, to allow delegates from the Diaspora who were not able to attend the conference to vote by proxy, which was set aside at the conference, taking into account Mr Kpulun’s disapproval of the action. Speaking on SLBC’ Morning Coffee programme, the Secretary General, Alhaji Amadu Sheriff confirmed that Mr Kpulun himself had not paid his subscriptions at Distinguish Grand Chief Patron Level for four years, to maintain his status as a Founding Member. He only paid in subscriptions in 2022. Notwithstanding this, Mr Kpulun was allowed to contest the elections. Investigations into anti-party activities by Mr Kpulun and other associates by a Disciplinary Committee, which was constituted in September 2022, were deferred until after the National Delegates Conference, to ensure that Mr Kpulun was not barred from competing.
Both PPRC and the NGC made substantial efforts to ensure that Mr Kpulun and his supporters were able to fully participate in the National Delegates Conference. Local and international observers and the PPRC were also present and witnessed the event. Despite his efforts to buy the votes of delegates and to disrupt the conference, NGC members across the country who had travelled to the capital Freetown, were determined to ensure the success of the conference and to re-elect Dr. Dennis Bright as National Chairman and Leader, given his hard work and commitment to the party since 2018, when so many people deserted the party, in search of opportunities in the Paopa gravy train. Dr Bright was elected by a landslide, given him a personal mandate to take the party forward for the next two years and to the 2023 elections, where it hopes to be part of the country’s governance. The National Executive Committee were given a mandate to enter into strategic alliances with other parties which shared the NGC’s core values at the next elections. NGC is proud to be the only opposition political party to have concluded its Lower-Level Elections and National Delegates Conference, guaranteeing that there will be a challenger to the Presidency of Julius Maada Bio.
Mr Kpulun’s version of events portrays an image of a Trumpian character who simply is unable to come to terms with his defeat. The reality for Mr Kpulun is that doubts about his character, competence and fitness to hold the position of National Chairman and Leader began to surface early in the year and before the Lower-Level Elections process got underway. Mr Kpulun was not able to assure members about the rape allegations. In May 2022, following consistent scrutiny about the rape allegations, Mr Kpulun took six members of the party to the Criminal Investigations Department, where he made allegations about harassment under the Cybercrime laws. He later withdrew those allegations from the police, when the defendants opted to go to court, rather than settle the case. During the Lower-Level Elections, Mr Kpulun secured the deployment of the Sierra Leone Police during the elections in Kenema district, his so-called stronghold and ensured that a parallel list of members was created in Falaba, Kenema, Pujehun and Western Rural.
Mr Kpulun’s strategy for winning the Lower-Level Elections, was textbook Paopa. He was only interested in Executive Committee positions which conferred delegate status at each tier of the Lower-Level Election process, and his campaign specifically targeted the position of Chairperson, Secretary General, Women’s Leader and Young Generation Leader. Mr Kpulun and his supporters made no contribution to the cost of the Lower-Level Elections and National Delegates Conference. His Paopa funded war chest, funded from tax receipts borne by the Sierra Leone taxpayer, was aimed at vote buying. One contestant for the position of Southern Regional Chairman, Mr. Kenneth Muana, who lost decisively admitted in an audio recording that he neither had the experience, finances or competence to do the job, but was only contesting because he had been promised money by Mr Kpulun.
Mr Kpulun’s exaggerated claim that he had served in the US Marine was exposed during the campaign, when it was revealed that during his tenure in the US Navy, he had served as an Unrated Seaman and left the navy as a Petty Officer Third Class. Mr Kpulun had created a veneer of respectability, presenting himself as a veteran in the US Marine who had undertaken active tour of duty. This eroded the perception of a ‘strongman’ and confidence in him at grassroot level dissipated. Party members became increasingly concerned about the character and behaviour of the people who were associated with Mr Kpulun’s so-called Team Diamond. It became increasingly apparent that this team was a version of the Benghazi Boys in the SLPP party. Their nastiness was exemplified in the tirade of mammy cuss, which was captured on an audio message, which one of his key associates, Mr Tcho Gbabior, subjected another party member. A spate of PPRC petitions orchestrated by Mr Kpulun and his supporters, left many members very weary and frustrated, especially as it became apparent that neither Mr Kpulun, nor his supporters contributed financially towards the functioning of the party.
The party is not surprised that Mr Kpulun has engaged in a flurry of media activity since he lost the elections. However, given that he had refrained from giving media interviews, when the rape allegations against him was first reported by Global Times on 13 February 2018, the party is appalled by his attempts to impugn the reputation of the party and the good name of Kandeh Yumkella and Dennis Bright. This exercise is merely an attempt to position himself for the attention of his Paopa paymasters.
Mr Kpulun’s lies has been exposed for what they are. The Elections Observers Network in their report of 22 December 2022, have concluded that the Conference and eventual elections were held in the spirit of good democratic process, and despite the heightened tension and occasional inconveniences, the elections process was free, fair and transparent. Below is a brief excerpt from the report of Election Observers Network (EON).
Election Observers Network (EON Pages4-5) exonerate NGC and Hon KKY
Page 4: “The EON observation team was present throughout the event which commenced several hours behind the scheduled time. The team observed the opening of ballot boxes, polling booths, delegates lists, ballot papers and voting. The NGC’s internal security arrangements were nicely complemented by the Sierra Leone Police who provided overall protection and policing. Thankfully, they behaved professionally at all times and averted any potential blowout.
The EON team and other official observers, namely PORC, were present throughout the event.
“Elections were conducted in a simple but efficient manner. A roll call of delegates from respective districts/regions/ organizations, their relevant documents checked at the first post, ID card, party membership card constituency cards-then issued with one ballot paper, IN THE FULL VIEW OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC, and directed towards the booth-one after the other- to vote in private.
“Counting was done openly in the presence of each candidate’s designated representatives, the PPRC and independent observers like EON-SL”.
Page5.
“The party’s charismatic Parliamentary Leader, whose name was not on the ballot on the day, made a timely passionate intervention when tempers flared up before the Chairmanship election. He kindly and passionately appealed to delegates to conduct themselves and address the issues at hand peacefully in the interest of their party and country. THIS AVERTED ANY INTENDING CHAOS. He succeeded and everything went.”
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