There is a muted political hurricane currently blowing across Sierra Leone in the aftermath of the recent SLPP convention in Makeni that saw the emergence of Solomon Berewa as the new leader of that party.
At about the same time, the other major party, the APC,elected Ernest Koroma unopposed as leader with the total boycott of the polls by the other intersted parties.
But the party whose leadership is presently spending sleepless nights is the SLPP as no less than two of its prominent members in the persons of Charles Margai and Hinga have announced through their supporters, the formation of brand new political parties.
Wild rumours circulating in Freetown and in the diaspora say one of the men (it’s not clear who) has named his party the Sierra Leone Progressive People’s Party (SLPPP) with a palm tree in a bottle filled with oil as its symbol. Bo and Kenema, the capitals of the south and east of the country are said to be agog with the rumours.
One thing that is not debatable is that the two men have tens of thousands of supporters behind them and are capable of totally destablising the ruling SLPP.
One very strong SLPP supporter has however told the Vanguard that the whole thing is a storm in a teacup and that the SLPP knows how to take control of recalcitrant and troublesome members.
"All the two men need are some carrots. A ministerial appointment in the case of Charles Margai and a firm promise of freedom in the case of Hinga Norman", he said.
Meanwhile wild, speculative and unconfirmed rumours are spreading in New York that president Kabbah has developed a fever while on a visit to that city. He is said to have failed to turn up at a dinner hosted in his honour by the New York branch of the SLPP.
Photo: Charles Margai, Kabbah-Berewa nemesis?
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