It was jubilation yesterday at the All Peoples Congress (APC) party office in Freetown, when the Former Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) Western Area Chairman with 124 others joined the ruling APC party.
The one hundred and twenty five people who were former executive members and supporters of SLPP Western Area Executive were all dressed in white t-shirts with the inscription ‘d pa dae wok’ ‘no run-off elections’, made a strong commitment of not returning back to the SLPP. Among them are former Western Regional Organizing Secretary Alpha ML Alghali and former financial secretary Josephine Mac-Thompson.
The well attended declaration ceremony was jam-parked with top APC stalwarts, Ministers, Parliamentarians, Councillors, family members and friends of Fadika like Nas Carew. Former musician and broadcaster Atila was also in attendance and made an oath that if Maada Bio rules this country again he will never step his foot in Sierra Leone anymore.
In her statement Josephine Mac-Thompson said that she felt at home by the way they were welcomed to the party. She added that Lansana Fadika is an asset that has joined the APC party. “We want you to know that we have come with all our hearts”. This team is not just supporters of SLPP but core SLPP Western Region executives.
Alpha Alghali explained that “we have come to join Ernest Bai Development develop this country”. He assured that the remaining votes that the SLPP is having in the Western Area, 70% of that will be converted to the APC. “We will make sure that the twenty one seats that the APC has in the Western Area be repeated again”, adding that they are in the party to work and not to fight for positions.
Dressed in red-shirts with the picture of President Koroma and himself with black jean, Lansana Fadika removed his foot wear and climbed up a chair to address the gathering. He started by singing “fire fire fire, fire dae cam” and “no hiding place down there” then went on to “dem wan ya dem go sabi we tiday.” With his eyes red like the APC symbol and sweat running profusely from his face he stressed “we dae finish SLPP”.
Lansana identified key people who influenced him to join the party and paid tribute to his late parents who were strong APC supporters. He maintained he was not bitter but wants to let people know that the SLPP is an ungrateful party.
He stated “I want you to know that the APC is not strange to me, when my father died in 1980, APC was the party that did all the necessary arrangements and he was given a befitting funeral”.
Fadika reiterated that he has come for serious business to work as a team to crush the SLPP to death. “I want you to rest assured that we have come with all our hearts”. He further assured that more people will come onboard.
He admonished them to stop the back biting and infighting but to have the party at heart. The only way we can win this elections he said is by registering for the elections.
Handing the membership card to Lansana Fadika, the Party Secretary General Victor Foh welcomed them and stressed that in the APC there are many rooms for people.
The Secretary General dressed in white t-shirt with a picture of a red monkey warning a green baboon with inscriptions “monkey still working let baboon wait” said that the party’s door is always open to those who want to join.
He called on his supporters to come and register for the elections.
By Abibatu Kamara
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