The main opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC), has issued a strongly worded condemnation of what it describes as a “reckless” and “politically motivated” move by the government to unilaterally declare the creation of new administrative districts and cities in Sierra Leone.
The condemnation follows an announcement made by the Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon. Tamba Lamin, during the ongoing Civic Day Series in Moyamba, in which he stated that Cabinet has approved the establishment of two new districts — Bandajuma and Kpangoma — as well as new cities, including the elevation of Lungi Township to city status.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, the APC said it is “gravely alarmed” by what it called an “irresponsible” pronouncement, which it claims lacks statutory foundation, public consultation, and the backing of credible census data.
The party described the move as a dangerous provocation and accused the government of attempting to manipulate the country’s governance structure for partisan gain.
“The APC wishes to make it categorically clear: we will not sit by and allow the government to distort our national administrative and electoral systems through illegal and premature actions cloaked as development,” the statement read.
The APC underscored that the creation of districts and cities must be informed by data from a credible, inclusive, and transparent national census — a process the party argues has not yet begun in any meaningful way.
According to the APC, there are no preliminary census results, no validated data, and the Technical Committees overseeing the process are not fully constituted. The party also noted that it has been deliberately excluded from the Census Technical Committee, raising further doubts about the legitimacy of the exercise.
“This clearly exposes what we have been warning the public and our international partners about,” the party continued. “The government has preconceived plans to rig the census, manipulate outcomes, and restructure national boundaries to suit its narrow political interests.
”The APC has vowed to resist any attempts to implement administrative reforms without a legitimate and verified census process. It warned that such actions threaten to distort future parliamentary seat allocations and political boundaries in favor of the ruling party, describing the development as a “naked abuse of power.
”Calling for national vigilance, the APC urged citizens to be alert and ready to peacefully resist what it sees as a grave threat to Sierra Leone’s democracy.
“Today it is two new districts; tomorrow it may be the erosion of your voting rights,” the party cautioned.
The opposition party also called on Statistics Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Development Planning, and key development partners including UNDP, UNFPA, the US Embassy, the British High Commission, the European Union, ECOWAS, the Irish Embassy, and the African Union to take note of what it sees as a blatant interference in the census process.
“We demand an immediate retraction of the statement made by the Minister and a full clarification from the Cabinet,” the release concluded.
“Sierra Leone is not a playground for political experiments.
This country belongs to all of us, and we will defend its integrity with every ounce of our strength.”
As of now, there has been no official response from the government or the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs regarding the APC’s claims.
