From supporting APC structures in Kono to expanding his network among Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora, Dr Ibrahim Bangura is building a campaign around reconciliation, inclusive leadership and grassroots participation.
As the contest for the All People’s Congress (APC) flagbearer position develops, Dr Ibrahim Bangura is combining grassroots engagement in Sierra Leone with diaspora outreach, while placing reconciliation and party unity at the centre of his campaign.
Bangura, popularly known as DIB, has built his political message around three words, Heal. Unite. Build., which his campaign uses to frame its approach to internal party relations, organisational development and national progress.
Recent activities in Kono District and the United Kingdom have provided two visible examples of that strategy, with the campaign combining practical support for party structures at home with the creation of organised networks among Sierra Leoneans abroad.
In Kono, Bangura recently provided 20 motorbikes and other assistance to APC leaders in an initiative aimed at supporting local party organisers. The intervention, reported on 26 September, was presented as a contribution towards improving the mobility and operational capacity of constituency level structures.
The focus on local organisers reflects the importance of grassroots structures in political communication and engagement with supporters. Bangura’s campaign has sought to link such practical assistance with a wider effort to strengthen participation at community level.
The Kono initiative has been accompanied by efforts to develop the campaign’s organisational presence outside Sierra Leone.
On 11 September, the DIB Iron Ladies UK and Ireland chapter was launched in London, bringing together women supporters and members of the Sierra Leonean diaspora for political engagement around Bangura’s campaign.
The London event gave Bangura a platform to discuss the role of women, young people, professionals and members of the diaspora in the future direction of the APC. He called for women to be regarded not only as campaign supporters but also as leaders and participants in political decision making.
The event also allowed Bangura to set out his position on the APC’s internal leadership contest.
“There can only be one eventual flagbearer, but there must remain one APC,” he said during the London engagement, according to his published address.
The statement reflects a recurring theme of his campaign: that competition among aspirants should not permanently divide party members.
Bangura has urged supporters to avoid insults, intimidation and personal attacks, and has advocated a contest centred on ideas, respect and democratic participation. He has also said he would maintain relationships with members who support other aspirants.
In a post event message, he said he would not build his political ambition by destroying another person’s ambition, and said that, if entrusted with leadership of the party, he would reach out to both supporters and non supporters.
That position forms part of his broader argument that the APC’s leadership contest should be followed by efforts to maintain the party’s organisational cohesion.
Bangura has also placed his professional background in governance, peacebuilding and development at the centre of his leadership pitch.
During his London engagement, he spoke about more than two decades of professional experience across Sierra Leone, Africa and international settings, saying the work had exposed him to different governance systems, institutional challenges and development priorities.
He has linked that experience to an approach to leadership based on consultation, dialogue and collective responsibility, while also calling for greater opportunities for younger members and professionals within the party.
His campaign therefore combines the experience of established party members with an emphasis on generational participation, women’s involvement and the contribution of Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora.
The same themes extend into his discussion of national development.
Bangura has identified issues including youth empowerment, women’s participation, stronger institutions, improved livelihoods and sustainable economic development as areas requiring attention. He has argued that development requires cooperation across political and social divisions.
In September, he delivered a keynote address at an International Day of Peace event at Fourah Bay College, where he linked peacebuilding with development. He argued that peace should create conditions in which children can learn, businesses can grow, institutions can strengthen and communities can rebuild trust.
The message provides a broader context for the “Build” component of his campaign slogan, connecting the internal organisation of the APC with his stated ambitions for national development.
At the organisational level, Bangura has encouraged supporters to contribute their ideas, expertise, time and resources rather than limiting participation to attendance at political events.
For the DIB movement, the emphasis is on developing a network that can operate across communities and among Sierra Leoneans abroad. The recent Kono initiative and London launch represent different parts of that approach, one focused on existing party structures in Sierra Leone and the other on organised diaspora participation.
The campaign is now seeking to translate those activities into a sustained political organisation as the APC moves towards its next flagbearer selection.
Bangura’s immediate objective is to secure the party’s nomination, but his campaign has consistently presented that ambition alongside a wider argument about the organisation’s future.
His message of Heal. Unite. Build. is being taken to different audiences as he seeks support within APC structures and among Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora.
The central theme is that political competition and party unity can coexist, with grassroots participation, wider inclusion and organisational renewal forming part of his stated vision for the APC and Sierra Leone.
As the contest for the All People’s Congress (APC) flagbearer position develops, Dr Ibrahim Bangura is combining grassroots engagement in Sierra Leone with diaspora outreach, while placing reconciliation and party unity at the centre of his campaign.
Bangura, popularly known as DIB, has built his political message around three words, Heal. Unite. Build., which his campaign uses to frame its approach to internal party relations, organisational development and national progress.
Recent activities in Kono District and the United Kingdom have provided two visible examples of that strategy, with the campaign combining practical support for party structures at home with the creation of organised networks among Sierra Leoneans abroad.
In Kono, Bangura recently provided 20 motorbikes and other assistance to APC leaders in an initiative aimed at supporting local party organisers. The intervention, reported on 26 September, was presented as a contribution towards improving the mobility and operational capacity of constituency level structures.
The focus on local organisers reflects the importance of grassroots structures in political communication and engagement with supporters. Bangura’s campaign has sought to link such practical assistance with a wider effort to strengthen participation at community level.
The Kono initiative has been accompanied by efforts to develop the campaign’s organisational presence outside Sierra Leone.
On 11 September, the DIB Iron Ladies UK and Ireland chapter was launched in London, bringing together women supporters and members of the Sierra Leonean diaspora for political engagement around Bangura’s campaign.
The London event gave Bangura a platform to discuss the role of women, young people, professionals and members of the diaspora in the future direction of the APC. He called for women to be regarded not only as campaign supporters but also as leaders and participants in political decision making.
The event also allowed Bangura to set out his position on the APC’s internal leadership contest.
“There can only be one eventual flagbearer, but there must remain one APC,” he said during the London engagement, according to his published address.
The statement reflects a recurring theme of his campaign: that competition among aspirants should not permanently divide party members.
Bangura has urged supporters to avoid insults, intimidation and personal attacks, and has advocated a contest centred on ideas, respect and democratic participation. He has also said he would maintain relationships with members who support other aspirants.
In a post event message, he said he would not build his political ambition by destroying another person’s ambition, and said that, if entrusted with leadership of the party, he would reach out to both supporters and non supporters.
That position forms part of his broader argument that the APC’s leadership contest should be followed by efforts to maintain the party’s organisational cohesion.
Bangura has also placed his professional background in governance, peacebuilding and development at the centre of his leadership pitch.
During his London engagement, he spoke about more than two decades of professional experience across Sierra Leone, Africa and international settings, saying the work had exposed him to different governance systems, institutional challenges and development priorities.
He has linked that experience to an approach to leadership based on consultation, dialogue and collective responsibility, while also calling for greater opportunities for younger members and professionals within the party.
His campaign therefore combines the experience of established party members with an emphasis on generational participation, women’s involvement and the contribution of Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora.
The same themes extend into his discussion of national development.
Bangura has identified issues including youth empowerment, women’s participation, stronger institutions, improved livelihoods and sustainable economic development as areas requiring attention. He has argued that development requires cooperation across political and social divisions.
In September, he delivered a keynote address at an International Day of Peace event at Fourah Bay College, where he linked peacebuilding with development. He argued that peace should create conditions in which children can learn, businesses can grow, institutions can strengthen and communities can rebuild trust.
The message provides a broader context for the “Build” component of his campaign slogan, connecting the internal organisation of the APC with his stated ambitions for national development.
At the organisational level, Bangura has encouraged supporters to contribute their ideas, expertise, time and resources rather than limiting participation to attendance at political events.
For the DIB movement, the emphasis is on developing a network that can operate across communities and among Sierra Leoneans abroad. The recent Kono initiative and London launch represent different parts of that approach, one focused on existing party structures in Sierra Leone and the other on organised diaspora participation.
The campaign is now seeking to translate those activities into a sustained political organisation as the APC moves towards its next flagbearer selection.
Bangura’s immediate objective is to secure the party’s nomination, but his campaign has consistently presented that ambition alongside a wider argument about the organisation’s future.
His message of Heal. Unite. Build. is being taken to different audiences as he seeks support within APC structures and among Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora.
The central theme is that political competition and party unity can coexist, with grassroots participation, wider inclusion and organisational renewal forming part of his stated vision for the APC and Sierra Leone.
