By Lawrence Williams
The National Secretary General of the All People’s Congress (APC), Lansana Dumbuya, has confirmed his detention by the Sierra Leone Police following remarks he made during the party’s ‘mammoth meeting’ at the Atouga Stadium on Saturday.
According to the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC), lawyer Dumbuya’s comments were deemed profane, inciting, and in violation of the Political Parties Act.
In a formal statement issued this evening and addressed to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Sierra Leone Police, Dumbuya maintained that his remarks were “political opinions expressed in good faith” and grounded in publicly available reports and observations by both local and international election observer missions relating to the 2023 general elections.
He clarified that the position he articulated at the rally was not personal or new, but a long-standing and consistently held stance of the APC since the conclusion of the elections. Lawyer Dumbuya stated that the party has repeatedly raised concerns about the conduct, transparency, and outcome of the polls through lawful political channels and engagements with national and international stakeholders.
“My statement was therefore made in articulation of an established party position,” he noted, stressing that it fell within the bounds of constitutional political discourse and democratic engagement.
The APC scribe also raised concerns over what he described as the absence of comprehensive, transparent, and disaggregated official election results, arguing that this gap has remained a subject of public debate both domestically and among international partners.
Addressing allegations that his speech was inciting or criminal in nature, lawyer Dumbuya categorically rejected such claims, insisting that he neither promoted violence nor hatred. He emphasized that political parties and citizens enjoy constitutional rights to express views on governance and electoral matters, provided such expressions do not incite violence—a threshold he says his remarks did not cross.
“Yes, I stand by my position as a political opinion and ideas based on public reports and unresolved electoral concerns,” he stated, “but I do not stand by any interpretation that suggests violence, hatred, or criminal intent.”
Despite reaffirming his commitment to peace, the rule of law, and lawful democratic processes, Dumbuya disclosed that he has now been detained by the Inspector General of Police, a development he described as arising from what he termed “normal democratic discourse.”
The PPRC had earlier cited the APC rally chants and remarks at Atouga Stadium as breaching provisions of the Political Parties Act, a move that has since sparked debate over the limits of political speech, regulatory oversight, and democratic freedoms in Sierra Leone.
The development adds a new layer of tension to the already polarized post-election political climate, as stakeholders await further action from law enforcement and possible responses from the APC leadership and civil society actors.
