Former All People’s Congress (APC) spokesman Sidie Yayah Tunis has accused the party’s National Chairman, Osman Foday Yansaneh, of allegedly masterminding a court case challenging the status of the party’s national executive.
Mr. Tunis claims that Mr. Yansaneh sought a further extension of the executive’s tenure after a six-month extension granted by the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) expired on 18 August 2026.
He alleges that Mr. Yansaneh had earlier approached the APC’s National Advisory Council seeking an extension and subsequently used the complainant in the court case as a proxy to challenge the party’s transition process.
Mr. Tunis also claims that Mr. Yansaneh received and signed for the court summons.
The claims have not been independently verified, and Mr. Yansaneh has not, in the material available, publicly responded to the allegations.
The six-month extension granted to the APC executive expired on 18 August. However, the PPRC has maintained that the existing executive should remain in place pending the outcome of court proceedings challenging its directive on how the party should proceed after the end of the extension.
The dispute centres on the transition arrangements for the APC and the authority of its national executive pending fresh internal elections.
Mr. Tunis argues that the party should establish an orderly interim arrangement and begin preparations for new internal elections rather than allow the leadership dispute to become a prolonged legal battle.
He has called for the matter to be addressed through the PPRC and the party’s internal structures, warning that continued litigation could deepen divisions within the opposition party.
The controversy comes as the APC is already grappling with an internal leadership struggle while facing a wider political confrontation with the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).
The two parties have been divided over proposed constitutional changes, including changes to the presidential election threshold and aspects of the electoral system.
The constitutional dispute intensified in Parliament after APC MPs challenged the procedure used to consider the amendment bill. The Speaker subsequently referred a constitutional question arising from the proceedings to the Supreme Court.
The APC has also moved to challenge aspects of the parliamentary process before the Supreme Court.
Mr. Tunis says the party needs a clear and legitimate leadership structure to effectively confront the government on major national issues.
He has urged APC leaders to prioritise unity, establish an interim arrangement and organise internal elections in a transparent and orderly manner.
The leadership dispute leaves the APC facing pressure on two fronts: resolving its internal struggle over the party executive while maintaining a united opposition position in its constitutional and political confrontation with the SLPP.
The outcome of the court proceedings could have significant implications for the APC’s transition and the organisation of its next internal elections.
