Sierra Leone: Opposition SLPP Leads In Final Results Of The March 7th Presidential Elections

March 14, 2018

By Mohamed K M Bangura

Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) flagbearer Brigadier Julius Maada Bio

The Sierra Leone”s Chief electoral Commissioner of the National Electoral Commission Mr Mohamed Nfah Conteh has announced the final 25% of the Country’s Presidential elections result on Tuesday the 13th of March at the Electoral Commission Headquarter in Freetown. The 25% he announced marked the final remaining 25% after he announced 75% of the results about four days ago.

Statement released by the Chairperson of the National Electoral Commission and National returning Officer on the results of the presidential Election held on 7th March 2018 he said by the power conferred upon him by section 33,38(8),44,and 45 (1) of the constitution of Sierra Leone 1991, Act No. 6 of 1991 and section 70(1)of the public Elections Act ,2012(Act No 4 2012) the National Electoral Commission NEC conducted polling for the Presidential Election in Sierra Leone on the 7th of March.

After deliberations with political parties requesting re-counts, the Commission ordered recounts in 154 polling stations. Results from these polling stations were included in the result announced.

Results from 221 polling stations were excluded,including where the votes cast exceeded the number of registered voters. The NEC chairperson and National returning officer said according to pursuant of section 87(2) of the Public Elections Act,2012 the results of those polling stations were declared null and void and not included in the final result announced.

After counting and tallying of votes cast, the number of invalid votes cast at the presidential election on the 7th of March 2018 was 139,427 and the number of valid votes cast was 2,537,122.

Ruling APC candidate Dr. Samura Mathew Kamara

Out of the 16 political parties that took part in the country’s presidential elections only four were prominent and the main opposition party The Sierra Leone People’s Party SLPP headed by the former Brigadier Julius Maada Bio with a total votes cast of 1,097,482 with 43.3% and the ruling party The All People”s Congress party headed by former Minister of Finance and country planning in the ruling party Dr. Samura Mathew Kamara with 1,082,748 with 42.7%, National Grand Alliance NGC headed by the former United Nations Under-Secretary -General and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All intiative,Dr Kandeh Yumkellah with 174,014 with 6.9% and the Coalition for Change C4C headed by the former Vice President in the ruling party Alhajie Samuel Sam-Sumana with 84,720, with 3.5%.

According to the percentages from all the political parties no one obtained the 55% needed for a party to emerge the winner, so the National returning officer announced the 27th of March 2018 as the Run-off for the two main political parties,The Sierra Leone People’s Party as its leading the Incumbent All People’s Party by 2%.

Chief electoral Commissioner of the National Electoral Commission Mr Mohamed Nfah Conteh

Members of the diplomatic and consular personalities and the foreign and national observers were present when the result was announced, Now the whole country is quiet and peaceful as supporters of the two main political parties are in high gear for the Run-off on March 27th this year..Who will win is not yet clear.