By Mackie M. Jalloh
A major constitutional standoff has erupted in Freetown as Sierra Leone’s primary opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC), officially repudiated Parliament’s adoption of the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2025, citing severe procedural flaws and demanding high court arbitration.
In a formal statement released on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, the APC announced that its legislative caucus staged a dramatic walkout during Monday’s parliamentary session, refusing to validate what it considers an unconstitutional voting process. The party confirmed that its members neither sanctioned nor took part in the vote that saw 96 lawmakers pass the sweeping constitutional changes.
The Core Statutory Rift
At the heart of the controversy is a fundamental disagreement over parliamentary voting thresholds required to alter Sierra Leone’s basic law:
The APC anchors its legal challenge on Section 108(2)(b) of the 1991 Constitution, which explicitly dictates that any bill seeking to amend statutory constitutional provisions must secure a two-thirds supermajority of all Members of Parliament during both its second and third readings.
Statutory Reference, Section 108(2), Mandatory 2/3 affirmative supermajority for constitutional amendments.
Opposition Position, Argues 96 votes fall short of the required 100 vote threshold.
Section 91(1), General rule for simple majority voting, unless otherwise specified. Opposition Position Asserts Section 108 is the explicit exception overriding simple majority.
Standing Order 44(3), Enforces two-thirds affirmative vote requirement across legislative readings.
Opposition position Claims Speaker’s ruling directly violates Parliament’s internal rules.
Judicial Review Demanded
The political rift widened after the Speaker of Parliament ruled that individual clauses of the amendment bill could be passed by a simple majority during the committee stage. The opposition contends that this interpretation creates an illegal loophole, allowing substantive constitutional changes to be introduced, altered, or deleted without meeting the statutory supermajority threshold.
“The committee stage is not a minor procedural step it is where the precise text of our Constitution is shaped. Treating constitutional revisions as simple majority matters undermines the supreme law of the land,” the APC stated, highlighting that the Speaker previously acknowledged the two-thirds rule before altering his position.
The opposition maintains that rather than forcing through a contested vote, Parliament was constitutionally obligated to refer the ambiguity to the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone for a definitive interpretation.
By walking out of the chamber, APC lawmakers insist they prevented the government from claiming bipartisan legitimacy over an unconstitutional act. The party concluded its declaration by warning that no arm of government or presiding officer stands above the law, calling for an immediate freeze on the bill’s implementation pending judicial review.
