By: Idrissa Bangura
The main Opposition All People’s Congress (APC) on Friday 13th August 2026, held a press conference where it condemned and rejected what it referred to as the undue constitutional passage of the constitution amendment Bill 2025. The press conference was held at the party’s headquarters on Old Railway Line in Freetown.
Secretary General of the APC, Lawyer Lansana Dumbuya whilst addressing a large gathering of media representatives, informed that the current position of the party, regarding the “unconstitutional” passage of the 2025 Constitutional Amendment Bill.
In his statement, he said the party strongly rejected and condemned what it referred to as a Legislative ( heist) rubbery and burglary.
Referencing the party’s 2023 elections’ ordeal, the Opposition’s Secretary General gave a flashback on the action the party took to boycott governance, following the announcement of the 2023 general elections.
Adding that, the International intervention led to the Agreement for National Unity; saying also that Resolution 3 established a Tripartite Committee which produced 80 critical recommendations, including reforms for Electoral Commissioner appointments( Recommendation 36) and the choice of electoral system (Rec. 78).
The Secretary General informed that the government’s persistent failure to fully implement these recommendations forced the APC to boycott governance for the second time.
The Secretary General further established that on 20th April 2026, the International Moral Guarantors mediated an agreement to form a joint Technical Committee of Lawyers to discuss the Constitutional Amendment Bill-2025 among others.
He noted that a consensus was reached on most issues, but two core matters- the 55% Presidential Winning threshold and Proportional Representation(PR) VS. First Past the Post (FPTP) were remitted to parliament for debate and vote. He added that what followed on 10 August 2026 was a blatant subversion of the Constitution and the will of Sierra Leonean People.
Secretary General, Lansana Dumbuya revealed that there were unconstitutional rulings and violation of Section 108. He registered that the Speaker of Parliament delivered an unconstitutional ruling that a constitutional amendment requires only a simple majority, directly contradicting section 108(2)(b) of the 1991 Constitution.
He posited that the provision was unambiguous: to alter the constitution, a Bill must secure two- thirds support of all elected Members of Parliament( including Paramount Chiefs) on both Second and Third Readings. With 149 MPs, saying that the lawful threshold is 100 votes not 96.
Mr. Dumbuya further said the Speaker’s ruling was inconsistent, arbitrary, and legally void. It contradicts the Speaker’s own earlier precedent set in the parliamentary proceedings relatings to the removal of the former Auditor General Mrs. Lara Taylor- Pearce, in which ruling, he the Speaker explicitly ruled that ” two-thirds of Parliament” means two-thirds of all elected members, and not just those present at the voting.
He also revealed that Speaker Sengepoh Thomas also admitted that his ruling remain subject to interpretation by the Supreme Court, but yet proceeded to declare the Bill passed, reversing the proper legal order.
Secretary General Lansana Dumbuya also informed that Section 91(1) (general majority rule) was explicitly qualified: “Except as otherwise provided in that constitution,” saying section 108 is that specific exception and must prevail.
“Referencing Standing Order 42 and Section 94(2) offer no immunity for unconstitutional acts, as they protect internal procedure only, not rulings that violate the supreme law, and procedure can never override the constitution,” he said. He pointed out that because of that constitutional breach the APC MPs withdrew from proceedings to avoid legitimising a fraudlent process. Adding that they neither participated in nor authorised that purported passage.
Raising also allegations of corruption and illegitimacy, that controversy coincided with international focus on convicted drug trafficker ” Bolle Jos” (Jos Leikjdders) residing in Sierra Leone, raising alarming questions about illicit finance infiltrating our political system.
Mr Dumbuya pointed out that bypassing section 108 can set dangerous precedent, and paves the way for future abuses- including rumours of a Bill to extend the president’s term from five to seven years, which could now pass illegally by a simple majority.
He said what occurred in Parliament has far-reaching consequences to our democracy. He added that what occured was unconstitutional, illegal, and a direct assault on Sierra Leone’s democratic foundations.
Mr. Dumbuya said what occurred destroyed the two-thirds majority safeguard designed to prevent ruling parties from unilaterally rewriting the constitution. It also renders the constitution vulnerable to partisan manipulation ahead of critical elections and as well undermine Parliamentary integrity and erodes trust in state institutions witnessed by the international community. It also violates the core principle of “sovereignty which resides in the people and not in Parliament, the Speaker, or the SLPP Government.”
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