The National Secretary General of the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) Victor BockarieFoh has reacted to allegations of “vote buying” by International Observers saying that they did not buy votes.
Foh was speaking in his Brookfields office just after addressing a press conference at the party headquarters.
In reaction he said“if they could name the person who did perhaps I may be better placed to answer, but I am saying categorically that we never ever indulged in that (vote buying).
Fohsaid “We gave a good message look at our records and give us five more years, we can do better – that was our message but we did not buy votes.”
He added“And we made sure we did not commit the offences that our brothers and sisters in the SLPP committed as at 2007 when Solomon Berewa was dancing with people he did not even know “Ngor Solo Buwah Aye ten thousand en polo” we never did.”
Fohsaid“the party was operating away from the President and we had our modus operandi which we followed. We went on campaigning but we did not buy votes- that I am certain of, we never ever did to buy votes.
On the other allegation that the APC compromised Paramount Chiefs to vote for them, the National Secretary General explained “I believe we did not. Some of them may have compromised themselves to take sides, but to say we go to paramount chiefs to beg them to support us no we don’t. Look at a key point -Kenema, are you saying we compromised paramount chiefs to vote for us? Bo did we ask them to vote for us?Pujehun? We never did. Paramount Chiefs are themselves Sierra Leoneans, perhaps some do over react, if they do, I don’t blame them. You see good road going to your town, sometimes you get over excited, you see water coming to your town, you see your children are not dying in hospitals, you see the good things being done, perhaps some of them over reacted, but to say we go to paramount chiefs to compromise them, that is not our principle. Infact the principle and policy of the APC is to go to the grassroots, it is the SLPP, they are the intelligentsia, they believe in patronage, we don’t. We go to the down trodden, the market women. If you say we went to Abacha to dance with them, Yes! If you say we go to the streets there, we go to the football players, we go and talk to them, yes, we do, but Paramount Chiefs? Yes, they are important, they are our natural rulers but to say we really go to them and buy votes and let them support us we don’t.”
When the question was put to him that the party hierarchy had explained that they do not buy votes or give goods but that they gave the traditional handshakes, Victor Fohsaid “We don’t give handshakes. We rather cook for our boys here, even this morning I have cooked for them is that handshake?” he asked, adding “we maintain our poor down trodden people.”
Seemingly energised by the question, Foh went on to explain that“when the lines were there to go and vote, I was there. I went and voted because as Secretary General I want my party to win, I want my President to win, but in all of the lines you will count the intelligentsia, you count the big Vons, they are not there, they don’t go to make the party win, that is why the other side may lose, I say May. We deal with the boys who go and make the lines handshake, can I give handshake to a million people, I don’t have the money, and I don’t think the President would even encourage Victor Foh to do that no.”
Reacting to the allegation by the main opposition SLPP that the APC has been“ballot stuffing” Victor Foh retorted, “They do that, we don’t. They have the record, ballot stuffing Kailahun Court Barray we don’t. That is not part of our lot we don’t. So the answer is just that is not correct we don’t.”
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