Some supporters of the United National People’s Party (UNPP) have disowned their party due to the announcement made by John Karefa Smart, one time party leader and his running mate Haja Memunatu, that they should all support the All People’s Congress (APC).
Abdul Rahman Koroma, an aspirant for Constituency 96, said he found it difficult to campaign to their supporters because the one time running mate of the party had asked all UNPP supporters to join the APC.
He added that most of the places he visited, people told him that the party had joined the APC, adding that it was just a propaganda stunt.
He opined that, “there is one UNPP with Abdul Kady Karim as our presidential candidate and the party is bigger than John Karefa Smart”.
The aspirant alleged that Haja Memunatu was used by some APC stalwarts to join their party, adding that the cross over of supporters to APC had disturbed their campaign in the provinces.
Mr Koroma maintained that the party had received a certificate from the National Electoral Commission (NEC) during the nominations period to contest the August 11 presidential and parliamentary elections.
In a press briefing yesterday at their Goderich Street head office in Freetown, the UNPP’s Secretary General Osman Borbor Conteh said “the party is an association of people who are regulated by a constitution and it is a democratic party”.
He noted that every member of the party was au fait with its constitution and that “chapter 3 of the constitution states that the UNPP should elect new leader and executives every four year.”
He emphasized that, “John Karefa Smart is not the leader of the party and Haja Memunatu is not credible and not a member of [the] UNPP”.
Mr Osman Fornah, also an aspirant, said “the UNPP is credible and intact”.
“We are making progress to take over governance after the [August 11] elections,” he boasted, and pointed out that “ the UNPP is working according to the code of conduct of NEC and PPRC”.
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