Lawyers representing former Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Member of Parliament Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally have demanded the immediate withdrawal and retraction of a letter issued by SLPP National Chairman Jimmy Batilo Songa, which purportedly declared that Tarawally is no longer a member of the party.
In a letter dated September 21, 2026, law firm Jengo, Sam & Partners accused the SLPP National Chairman of acting without constitutional authority when he issued a September 17 letter alleging that Tarawally held dual membership of the SLPP and the Citizens Democratic Party (CDP).
The lawyers argued that Tarawally remains a registered, card-carrying and fully paid-up member of the SLPP in the category of Grand Chief Patron, with his party dues reportedly paid up to 2028. They further stated that he was accredited as a National Delegate at the SLPP’s 14th National Delegates Conference in 2025, where he participated in voting.
According to the legal letter, Tarawally resigned from the CDP on June 15, 2018, through a written resignation addressed to the then CDP Secretary General, Victor O. King, who is now the party’s National Chairman.
The lawyers also referred to a September 18, 2026 press statement signed by four CDP Regional Chairmen, who they said categorically rejected claims that Tarawally remains a member of the CDP.
The statement, according to the lawyers, said the four regional chairmen had witnessed Tarawally’s return to the SLPP and his public declaration of support for President Julius Maada Bio during the 2018 presidential run-off at the Bo Coronation Field.
The lawyers further claimed that the current CDP Secretary General responded to an inquiry about Tarawally’s membership without consulting the party’s four regional chairmen. They also stated that the current CDP National Chairman, who was the Secretary General when Tarawally submitted his resignation in 2018, said he was not consulted before the response was issued.
The legal team further alleged that the CDP letter relied upon by the SLPP Chairman was issued on an outdated party letterhead and had not been signed or approved by the current CDP National Chairman.
On that basis, the lawyers argued that the foundation for the SLPP Chairman’s decision had collapsed, maintaining that Tarawally’s membership could not be determined unilaterally by an official of another political party.
The lawyers cited several provisions of the SLPP Constitution, arguing that membership can only end through disqualification, resignation or expulsion and that disciplinary procedures must be followed where applicable.
They further argued that the powers of the SLPP National Chairman under Article 6 of the party’s Constitution do not include the unilateral authority to suspend, expel or deregister a party member.
According to the lawyers, no complaint was served on Tarawally, no National Disciplinary Committee was convened, no hearing was held, and no resolution was passed by the National Executive Council before the September 17 letter was issued.
The legal team has therefore demanded that the SLPP Chairman withdraw the letter within seven days, publish the withdrawal and correction through the same social media platforms where the original letter was circulated, and cease further statements claiming that Tarawally is not an SLPP member or holds dual party membership.
The lawyers also demanded written confirmation that Tarawally remains a fully paid-up Grand Chief Patron and National Delegate of the SLPP and that any future allegations against him be handled through the party’s established disciplinary procedures.
The letter warns that failure to comply could lead to a criminal complaint to the Cyber Crime Unit of the Sierra Leone Police, civil proceedings for libel and injunctive relief, and complaints before the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC), the SLPP’s National Executive Council and National Council of Elders.
The lawyers also reserved Tarawally’s right to seek redress before regional and international human rights bodies, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.
The legal letter maintains that Tarawally has not been a member of the CDP since June 15, 2018, and remains a registered SLPP member with dues paid up to 2028.
The document was copied to senior SLPP officials, the PPRC Chairman and other relevant party bodies.
