His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has on  Saturday 29 April 2023 received and welcomed to the Sierra Leone People’s Party, SLPP, former opposition party running mate, district council chairman, Members of Parliament, youth leaders, and other supporters who assure of delivering Tonkolili District in the June 2023 elections.

Among those who public gave their alliance to the SLPP were former Coalition for Change, C4C, running mate Hon. David Bai Conteh, former Tonkolili District Council Chairman for the main opposition All People’s Congress, APC, Alusine Kamathor Sesay, former APC Hon. Members of Parliament, Mohamed Bash Taqi, Mohamed Albert Tarawally and Mohamed Christopher Tickler Conteh.

They were joined by Alimamy Palmon Sesay of the National Grand Coalition, NGC, at Magbass and Masingbi Towns in the mineral rich northeastern district, where President Bio with First Lady Fatima Maada Bio and Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, had gone to talk tohis people as part of his working visit to the rest of the country.

The declarant includes the former Running Mate for C4C, Hon. David Bai Conteh, APC Hon. Mohamed Albert Tarawally (aka MAT), Former APC Hon. Mohamed Bash Taqi, Alimamy Palmon Sesay of NGC, and the famous Tickler M. Conteh of the APC.

The former C4C running mate, Hon. David Bai Conteh, told his people and the President in his declaration that, "My primary concern that led me to declare today is for the development of Tonkolili district first because it used to be the bread basket of Sierra Leone. We have the hydro in Bumbuna, we have Kingho Mining, and we used to have the largest hospital, colleges, and other institutions of learning."

"We are bringing a lot to the country, but we are deprived in terms of development in all sectors." We have been abandoned for too long. I am certainly sure that I have a national call to serve my country under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio and the SLPP government."

"I made a mistake then when I returned from the United States of America, USA, to join the APC for the development of my district, which I honestly regretted. Our request to the APC has been for the construction of the Robol-Mile 91 road and the Matotoka-Bo road. This they failed to do in their eleven years of governance. I am here with my people to plead with you, His Excellency President Bio, to bring back the old reminiscent of Tonkolili district after your re-election," he requested.

The former C4C running mate said, "My coming to the SLPP has nothing to do with either the C4C or SLPP parties." I am coming on the basis that we want development in my district because we have been neglected for far too long and we have seen tangible development ongoing across the country, and we want ours after your re-election."

The former chairman of Tonkolili district council under the APC party, Alusine Kamathor Sesay, said, "I am here now, at the SLPP party. I have been in politics with the APC party from 1996 to 2023. I have remained loyal to my party, but I have been a brother to my brothers and sisters outside of politics."

He said, "By the grace of Allah, I am here to join the SLPP party 100 percent, and I have just been nominated to also stand for the position of Tonkolili district council chairman under the ticket of the SLPP party. I want to say thanks to the entire leadership of the SLPP party for being united to win the minds and souls of Sierra Leoneans."

"Today, as I stand before you, I am a proud person to confirm to all of you that, by the power of Allah, President Julius Maada Bio is going to win this June election hands down. I know the ins and outs of Tonkolili district; be assured that we are going to deliver it to you and the SLPP government come June 24, 2023."

"We want to express our thanks and appreciation to you for choosing Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh as your vice president for the coming elections, and with us in the district, you are going to win the election with the highest margin ever in our country's election history," he confirmed.

Former APC Honorable Taque said, "I am here to confirm to the country that the SLPP party is a party for all Sierra Leoneans." They have a balanced ethnic representation, and because of that, we, the theme people, are coming to occupy our rightful space.

"I am here to confirm that; I have come to the SLPP party. We are here to take over the party for the development of our district and the country in particular, under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio. I am happy for the establishment of the Commission of National Cohesion by the president to bring the country together. I am also happy for your free education program because many elderly politicians do need to be educated too."

"We are going to give you, His Excellency, our vote in the coming election, but please don’t forget our district in terms of development in your second term," he pleaded.

Mohamed Christopher Conteh, alias Thinkla Med, formerly of APC, told the audience that the past APC government deliberately did not construct the road linking Mile 91, Bo, and Magburaka because they were afraid that it would prevent road users from going through Makeni.

"We requested electricity in Mabontho for more than ten years, but the APC never did. I am here to confirm that, based on the ongoing developments we have seen across the country under President Bio, Tonkolili district has returned to the SLPP party. "We are going to deliver the district by all means to the SLPP party in the June 24 elections," he assured.

Credit: State House Media and Communications Unit