By Salieu S. Kanu
Freetown, July 13, 2026: The National Chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Sir Jimmy Batilo Songa, and Deputy National Chairman Robert K. Kargbo met today with members of the Party’s National Elders Council to discuss recent parliamentary developments concerning former President Ernest Bai Koroma, the Chairman said in a statement on Monday.
The meeting, held in Freetown, brought together the Elders Council — described in Article 12 of the SLPP Constitution as the moral guarantors of the Party — to review ongoing engagements between the SLPP Parliamentary Leadership and Party Leader, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio.
In his remarks, Chairman Songa emphasized the importance of ensuring that all parliamentary and governmental actions remain guided by the Constitution of Sierra Leone, while safeguarding due process and promoting national unity, peace, and stability.
He reminded delegates of the SLPP’s historic role in leading Sierra Leone to independence and later restoring peace after the country’s eleven-year civil war. He noted that, with President Bio currently serving as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Party’s actions must also reflect the principles enshrined in the ECOWAS Revised Treaty and the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which promote constitutional order and peaceful resolution of political differences.
The Elders Council encouraged the SLPP leadership and members at home and abroad to continue supporting President Bio’s efforts to foster peace, unity, and inclusive national dialogue.
Chairman Songa reaffirmed that President Bio has consistently demonstrated a commitment to reconciliation, recalling his engagement with rebel leader Foday Sankoh during the peace process that helped end Sierra Leone’s civil war. He said the President’s current initiatives, including dialogue relating to former President Koroma, reflect his dedication to national cohesion.
“History will judge every leader by the legacy they leave behind. It is my hope that President Julius Maada Bio will be remembered for his dedication to peace, democratic governance, national unity, and the continued progress of Sierra Leone,” Songa stated.