By Councilor Kabbah Koroma
The political temperature within Sierra Leone’s main opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC), is once again simmering—this time in the Northern Region. What began as an ordinary regional meeting in Makeni has turned into a vivid reminder of the party’s deepening generational and leadership rift. The incident, which occurred at the APC Northern Regional Office on 21st October 2025, has raised questions about internal democracy, leadership tolerance, and the party’s readiness to embrace reform from within.
According to accounts from those present, the meeting—attended by Regional Chairman Alie Commoner, Mayor Abu Bakarr Kamara, several Members of Parliament from Bombali District, and sixteen district chairmen—was initially convened to strengthen coordination ahead of upcoming regional engagements. But as proceedings unfolded, a group of young party members stormed the compound, chanting slogans and carrying placards bearing inscriptions like “We need young leadership” and “We need energetic leaders.”
Their message was unmistakable: the youth, long seen as the party’s electoral backbone, are demanding a greater voice in the APC’s decision-making structures.
Chairman Med K from the Western Area reportedly took a conciliatory stance, allowing the youths to express their frustrations, describing their protest as “an act of expression, not rebellion.” However, not everyone in attendance shared that sentiment. Some senior figures from Bombali District, reportedly close to the regional leadership, dismissed the demonstrators as “Alie General’s boys,” implying political manipulation by rival factions within the party.
Tensions escalated when Constituency 038 Chairman Jumbo Jumbo and Mayor Lamtales allegedly attempted to expel the protesters from the premises. A physical confrontation nearly broke out as the young demonstrators resisted. It was only the swift intervention of Councilor Kabbah Koroma that prevented the situation from descending into violence. “I stepped in to stop Chairman Jumbo Jumbo from confronting the youths,” Councilor Koroma later explained, adding that his goal was to maintain peace and prevent bloodshed.
For several minutes, the regional office was in disarray—shouting matches filled the hall, chairs were overturned, and the atmosphere was charged with mistrust. Eventually, calm was restored, and the meeting resumed, but the damage to party unity was evident.
Political analysts say the incident highlights a growing generational divide within the APC, where young supporters increasingly view the party’s older leadership as resistant to change. For many of them, calls for “energetic and youthful leadership” are not acts of defiance, but a desperate plea for renewal.
In a post-meeting statement, Councilor Koroma called for restraint and dialogue, warning that if left unresolved, the ongoing power struggle within Bombali District could “cause further division or damage to the party.” He proposed several steps to de-escalate tensions, including inclusive dialogue with all aggrieved parties, detachment of local position holders from national factionalism, and renewed commitment to unity above individual ambition.
“Protest,” he noted, “is a natural human expression. It happens everywhere and should be understood as a call for attention, not rebellion.”
Koroma’s remarks resonate beyond Bombali. Many within the APC now see the Makeni fracas as a microcosm of a much larger issue—the party’s internal governance. Observers believe that the APC’s survival and future electoral success depend on its ability to reconcile competing interests between its old guard and rising youthful voices demanding space.
The timing of the unrest is also significant. With national elections approaching, the APC’s internal cohesion is critical. The last thing the party needs, insiders say, is a repeat of the bitter factional disputes that plagued it in previous elections.
