KKY in Trouble
A serious rift has engulfed the National Grand Coalition (NGC) as the one-time leader and Chairman of the NGC, Dr Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella has been accused of setting the stage to divide the NGC.
Political pundits say the mess Hon. Kandeh Yumkella left behind in the party has landed him in big trouble and embarrassment which is causing him sleepless nights. The conflict reared its ugly head and came to the open following the suspension of Jesmed Foday Mami Suma, the party’s Acting National Chairman and Leader which the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NGC took on Saturday, October 5, 2024, in what many perceive as a turning point in the party’s leadership.
The conflict started as claimed after Jesmed Foday Mami Suma’s statement, made during a TV interview prior to the NEC meeting, where he asserted that while the NGC is theoretically in alliance with the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), the alliance was not practically active. That statement was a focal point of contention during the NEC meeting. According to Jesmed Foday Mami Suma, the Secretary-General urged a NEC member to propose that he apologize for his statement or face suspension. The Chairman refused to apologize, standing by his words. Inside sources from NGC say the division in the party has been steaming underground for a long time. The letter emphasized that he has no authority to speak on behalf of the NGC.
Jesmed Suma maintained that his suspension was unconstitutional and illegitimate. “I was never suspended from the party, as falsely alleged by the Secretary-General,” he challenged.
He further explained that, according to the NGC constitution, any disciplinary action must come from the party’s Disciplinary Committee, which would then refer its findings to the NEC for ratification. He emphasized that the NEC does not have the authority to take disciplinary action without such an investigation. “NEC cannot investigate and resolve disciplinary matters within five minutes of an accusation being made,” he noted, challenging the process that led to his suspension.
Jesmed Musa made reference to Article 16, Subsection 7 of the NGC constitution, which mandates that NEC decisions must be made through secret ballots. He argued that the chaotic atmosphere during the meeting, where members demanded an apology or suspension, could not be considered a legitimate vote.
“This is a failed hostile takeover attempt by outside forces, and we, the true members of the NGC, are determined to fight against it,” Jesmed Foday Suma concluded.
Meanwhile, the NGC’s National Public Relations Officer (PRO) issued a public statement asserting that Jesmed Foday Mami Suma’s position as the legitimate Chairman and Leader of the party. “Jesmed Foday Mami Suma is the bona fide Chairman of the NGC. No one or nobody has suspended him,” the PRO stated. He reiterated that Jesmed Foday Mami Suma was duly elected as Deputy Chairman and assumed the position of Chairman after the former Chair’s departure.
